Jurgen Klopp dropped a bombshell in January when he announced that he will leave Liverpool at the end of the season.
Klopp’s impending exit has sparked a lot of speculations about who will take the reins next at Anfield.
Liverpool have pinpointed a number of potential candidates to fill the shoes of the departing German head coach.
Rumours indicate that Xabi Alonso remains a prime target for the club, who has been doing wonders with Bayern Leverkusen this season.
He is close to leading the German club to Bundesliga glory, ending Bayern Munich’s 12-year dominance. They are currently 10 points ahead of Bayern with 8 games left to play.
His incredible performance with Leverkusen has attracted interest from a number of clubs including Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Liverpool.
Recent reports have suggested that Alonso would prefer to join Bayern Munich over Liverpool.
And as per the latest report from The Sun, Liverpool will be considering Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi as an alternative option, in case Alonso chooses to remain in Germany.
Liverpool’s new sporting director Richard Hughes has old links with De Zerbi
Liverpool’s new sporting director, Richard Hughes, is said to have a strong admiration for De Zerbi, stemming from their past connections.
The report reveals that Hughes, who spent his formative years in Atalanta, played against De Zerbi who played for AC Milan.
Hughes later approached De Zerbi for a managerial role at Bournemouth in 2022, but Brighton secured his services a few days later following Potter’s departure to Chelsea.
Which is why it will not be surprising to see him make another attempt to hire him, this time with The Reds.
Liverpool will have to pay a compensation fee to Brighton for Roberto De Zerbi
De Zerbi, under contract with Brighton until June 2026, would require Liverpool to negotiate compensation for his release.
His successful debut season with Brighton, leading them to a historic 6th-place finish and Europa League qualification, has bolstered his reputation.
This season, the performances from Brighton have not been as consistent as last season, but they have still done a decent job as they sit 8th in the league, only 5 points behind 6th placed Manchester United.
