Fabian Hurzeler does not have a release clause in his Brighton contract, leaving Manchester United – or any other club – with the prospect of having to pay a world record fee to prise him away.

Brighton are said to be relaxed over Hurzeler’s future, despite him earning the admiration of United, who have earmarked him as a potential future manager and could consider making a more immediate move if they decide to sack Michael Carrick.

Hurzeler signed a new contract with Brighton in May. Telegraph Sport understands that deal, which runs to June 2029, does not contain a release clause.

Chelsea paid Brighton £21.5m to appoint Graham Potter from Brighton, while Bayern Munich paid RB Leipzig £21.7m to hire Julian Nagelsmann, who would be a leading candidate for the United job.

The expectation is Brighton would demand even more than those fees for 33-year-old Hurzeler, who they believe could become one of the elite head coaches in world football.

Under Hurzeler, Brighton believe there is an opportunity to qualify for the Champions League. Sources claim that chairman Tony Bloom’s renowned data modelling modelling gave the club a chance of finishing as high as third in the Premier League table before the season kicked off.

That currently looks accurate, with Brighton third behind Manchester City and Arsenal after a superb start to the season that has included big wins against Arsenal and Aston Villa.

The message inside Brighton is thought to be for everybody to stay humble before tough tests against Liverpool and City in the league.

There is no certainty that Hurzeler would be interested in the United job, given the instability at the club and the opportunities that could present themselves in the future.

Hurzeler was rewarded with a new contract last season after Brighton had kept faith with him during a run of 13 league games with only one win, when some fans booed and chanted “you’re getting sacked in the morning”.

It is believed that Hurzeler was the subject of some interest in the summer, which was ignored.