'We tried' – De Zerbi reveals £42m Chelsea star was close to joining Brighton last summer

Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi admits the club fought hard to sign Chelsea star Cole Palmer from Manchester City last summer.

Palmer, 22, has been one of the stars of the Premier League this season and has lit up Chelsea’s campaign with 21 goals and 10 assists this term.

De Zerbi is a huge admirer of the former City playmaker but the Seagulls were outmuscled by Chelsea in the transfer market as Palmer sealed his £42.5m switch to Stamford Bridge last summer on a reported initial wage of £80,000 per week.

Speaking ahead of Brighton’s clash with Chelsea at the Amex Stadium on Wednesday night, De Zerbi said: "We tried to bring him last summer. We thought he could be a top player. The qualities of Palmer are clear. This season he is playing very well, scoring a lot of goals."

Brighton continue to target a top 10 finish this season and have just two games to go. After Chelsea, the Seagulls welcome Man United on Sunday and De Zerbi admits it will be “a problem” if they fail to add to their points tally.

"After Sunday we go on holiday and going on holiday without points from the last two games would be a problem for me,” said the Italian. “And we want to finish in the top 10 for sure."