One reliable journalist has claimed that Liverpool have ‘two leading candidates’ when it comes to appointing their next manager.

The Reds are continuing to seek out the right successor to Jurgen Klopp, although some pundits have claimed that Michael Edwards and co have internally made up their mind already.

Speaking to ESPN FC, Mark Ogden hinted that the Anfield hierarchy have narrowed down their search to a couple of names who’ve been linked heavily with the role in recent weeks, with one of those appearing to have a narrow advantage.

He outlined: “What I’ve been told is that Ruben Amorim and Roberto De Zerbi are the two leading candidates. There were some suggestions last week that De Zerbi had kind of fallen down the list a little bit.

“I’m told that isn’t the case, but Amorim is the guy that probably shades the preference in the sense that he’s managing a big club already. He’s won a title and it looks like he’s gonna win another title, so his pedigree in the sense of managing a big club is established.

“De Zerbi hasn’t quite done that yet, and I think that would be a little bit of a hesitation. Can he handle the intensity of managing Liverpool? I suppose he could, but the benefit that De Zerbi has is that he knows the Premier League. He’s managed in the Premier League for a season and a half.”

As Ogden has highlighted, Amorim’s title-winning pedigree in Portugal could give him the edge over De Zerbi when it comes to Liverpool making their final decision on their next manager.

There are still hurdles to clear in terms of stumping up for his release clause and persuading him to take the job if indeed he’s their preferred candidate, but hopefully the Anfield hierarchy will end up getting whoever their first-choice option might be.

You can view Ogden’s comments in full below, via ESPN UK on YouTube:

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Paul Merson has called to question whether Roberto De Zerbi would be a good fit as Liverpool’s next manager.

The former Arsenal footballer was comparatively more complimentary about Sporting Lisbon’s Ruben Amorim, whom he feels is the more likely candidate to succeed Jurgen Klopp at Anfield.

“As for Roberto De Zerbi, I think teams have caught on with the way Brighton play,” the Sky Sports pundit wrote for Sportskeeda.

“I’d have been surprised if he got the Liverpool job, they need someone who is winning football matches week in and week out at the top level. If Liverpool drop points, there will be headlines in the newspapers.

“Ruben Amorim on the other hand – I can see that. What he’s doing with Sporting is outstanding, he’s working under severe pressure and delivering. I don’t think that’s the case with De Zerbi. He’s still a good manager but I don’t think he’s ready for a massive club yet.”

The Primeira Liga outfit took themselves seven points clear of nearest rivals Benfica with a convincing 4-0 win over Gil Vicente.

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What has Amorim since said about his future?

There are now serious questions over whether the 39-year-old will indeed be the man to replace the outbound Liverpool boss this summer.

The former Braga boss will have raised eyebrows in the our recruitment team after admitting to reporters that he doesn’t feel his cycle with Sporting is over.

Whether we take this at total face value or an invitation to make a better offer behind the scenes – assuming we’re hard at work behind the scenes with Amorim’s entourage – remains to be seen.

It’s yet another potential managerial blow – and one we perhaps didn’t anticipate facing so close to the end of the season.

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Roberto De Zerbi may appear increasingly unlikely to be the next Liverpool manager.

Fabrizio Romano reiterated once more that the Reds have yet to make contact with the Italian head coach with the space having gone ‘completely quiet’.

“Again, I keep repeating I’m not aware of any contacts between Roberto De Zerbi and Liverpool – at least not so far. It’s completely quiet on that one,” the Guardian reporter exclusively informed CaughtOffside.

That’s not, of course, to suggest the former Shakhtar Donetsk manager is completely out of the frame in what will be an incredibly meticulous process to replace Jurgen Klopp this summer.

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READ MORE: ‘Made contact’: Fabrizio Romano breaks morning Liverpool manager search news

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Could personality get in the way of an Anfield move?

There have to be concerns, from an FSG perspective, over hints of frustration from De Zerbi with Brighton’s ambition levels.

The 44-year-old made a thinly veiled jab at the Seagulls’ ownership following the club’s exit from the Europa League at the hands of Atalanta.

Liverpool, by contrast, have thrived on a manifesto of unity under Klopp, with the manager often refusing to criticise John W. Henry and Co. directly.

It’s a position we have every reason to believe Liverpool will be keen to maintain moving forward, regardless of the tactical acuity of a particular candidate.

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Oliver Kay has suggested that Roberto De Zerbi’s personality could work against him when it comes to the Liverpool job.

Jurgen Klopp is set to depart at the end of the current campaign having opted to call time early on his Anfield contract.

The Italian head coach, currently in charge of Brighton & Hove Albion, is reportedly on the Reds’ managerial shortlist along with highly-rated Sporting Lisbon coach Ruben Amorim.

“I don’t think Premier League experience is the thing. It wouldn’t surprise me if De Zerbi or Thomas Frank were on a shortlist and maybe they would be interviewed or maybe not, but I don’t think they would get the job necessarily,” the journalist spoke on The Athletic FC Podcast.

“We alluded to this, a number of people have suggested to us that De Zerbi isn’t the type of person they would look for in terms of a personality point of view, he’s outspoken and he’s hot-headed in some ways.”

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Personality does matter to Liverpool

Liverpool have a firm policy of no, shall we say, “troublemakers”, when it comes to the playing staff.

One would very much imagine that this will extend to the managerial search taking place ahead of the summer.

That’s not to discredit De Zerbi totally as a candidate. However, one might imagine executives at FSG will have raised eyebrows at the 44-year-old’s comments alluding to frustration with Brighton’s ownership (Telegraph).

There will undoubtedly be a clear desire to maintain Jurgen Klopp’s unifying approach at Liverpool from top to bottom.

In that sense, we shouldn’t be too surprised should we pass over the option of the former Shakhtar Donetsk boss in favour of more settled waters.

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Neil Jones hasn’t questioned critics’ suggestions that Roberto De Zerbi wouldn’t be a good fit at Liverpool based on Brighton’s league positioning.

The Seagulls find themselves ninth in the Premier League table following a hard-fought 2-1 defeat at Anfield.

“I don’t think it’s fair to judge Roberto De Zerbi on Brighton’s league position. People talk about Brighton having an underwhelming season. They were eighth before the weekend and now find themselves ninth in the league table. Brighton & Hove Albion being eighth is still a very new phenomenon; I don’t think we should get blase about it!” the Covering Liverpool journalist shared in his latest exclusive column with Empire of the Kop.

“‘Oh, Brighton are only eighth in the table, that’s disappointing’ – are you kidding? Brighton weren’t even a Premier League club a few years back. Their progress is still to be admired. Just look at the way they play! Look at how nervous that game was on Sunday.

“They’ve got Arsenal next and I think a lot of people are thinking that’s a chance for Liverpool to make some ground on Arsenal if they don’t beat Brighton. That’s down to where they are as a club and the managers that have come before – but a lot of it is still down to the work De Zerbi has put in and how difficult they are to play against.”

The south coast-based outfit is set to next take on fellow mid-table outfit Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium this evening.

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Would De Zerbi be open to a move?

There have been suggestions that the Italian head coach is not entirely happy with Brighton’s current ambition levels.

However, how the club could have significantly improved on its league finish of sixth last term after losing both Moises Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister in the summer is beyond us.

De Zerbi’s side have nine league games left to make up a 20-point deficit to last season’s points tally (62).

It’s worth further pointing out that Brighton are only nine points off matching their second-highest points total since their last promotion (51).

Regardless, when a vacancy of the Liverpool job’s calibre comes up, it’s always hard to say no, isn’t it?

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Fabrizio Romano has provided a wide-ranging update on three potential candidates to replace Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool manager.

Xabi Alonso had been the leading contender for the best part of two months until he reaffirmed his commitment to Bayer Leverkusen last week.

In his latest Daily Briefing for CaughtOffside on Monday morning, the Italian reporter pinpointed the candidate who’s now believed to be in the driving seat to take over at Anfield.

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Romano wrote: “Despite the links with [Roberto] De Zerbi as Klopp’s successor, I keep repeating my position on that – I’m told that Ruben Amorim is the favourite option for now.

“De Zerbi has been on the list for Liverpool for some time as well, but there’s still no development so far. Let’s also see what Bayern will decide to do, but it’s still time for internal talks at Bayern on who will replace Thomas Tuchel, and nothing has been decided yet.

“Another name for the Liverpool job coming up in reports is Simone Inzaghi. However, I’m not aware of anything concrete so far on this one, also because Inzaghi is fully focused on Inter and on winning the Serie A title.

“My understanding is also that Inter will offer him new deal in the upcoming weeks, so the situation is currently quiet; let’s see if he will receive concrete proposals.”

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Amorim’s Sporting Lisbon took a step closer to a potential league title over the weekend with a hard-fought away win which keeps them a point clear of second-placed Benfica, and his club are understood to be seeking out potential successors if the 39-year-old is lured to Liverpool.

From Romano’s latest assertion, the Portuguese coach definitely seems to be in pole position to take over from Klopp, even though the rumours about De Zerbi and Inzaghi are unlikely to cease any time soon.

While Amorim appears to be the leading contender for now, Reds fans won’t be getting ahead of themselves after the major curveball regarding Alonso last week.

If the Sporting boss is now the man who Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes want more than any other, let’s hope he doesn’t also slip through our fingers and that a deal can be done to get him to Anfield.

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Roberto De Zerbi heaped praise upon one Liverpool player after the Reds overcame his Brighton team at Anfield on Sunday.

The 44-year-old is among the leading contenders to take over from Jurgen Klopp in the summer, and such a move would see him reunite with Alexis Mac Allister, who played under him for the Seagulls last season before his transfer to Merseyside.

Speaking to the media after today’s match, the Italian singled out the 25-year-old for credit after an excellent performance in midfield, which was capped by a sublime assist for Mo Salah’s winning goal.

De Zerbi said of the Argentina international (via Paul Gorst on X): “He became a great, great player. The assist for the second goal was very good. Proud for him. With him to be an important player at a big club…”

De Zerbi on Mac Allister: "He became a great, great player. The assistance for the second goal was very good. Proud for him. With him to be an important player at a big club…"

— Paul Gorst (@ptgorst) March 31, 2024

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Mac Allister has been one of Liverpool’s standout performers during the second half of the season, and his link-up with Salah today was a delight to watch.

As per Sofascore, the 25-year-old completed 58 out of his 63 passes (93% success), created one big chance, recorded five key passes, took five shots and made three clearances and three tackles during a masterclass of a performance.

The Argentine has now registered a goal contribution in five successive Premier League games, coming to the fore at a crucial juncture of the season as he flourishes in a freer midfield role than the number 6 position that he occupied predominantly in the first half of the campaign (Transfermarkt).

If De Zerbi is appointed as Klopp’s successor, we can expect that he’d make Mac Allister a cornerstone of the Liverpool team, having got the best out of him during their mutual time at Brighton.

The Reds’ number 10 ran the show at Anfield today, and most likely will do so another few times throughout April and May.

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Roy Keane has given a candid assessment as to whether or not Roberto De Zerbi would be the ideal manager to replace Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool.

The two coaches come head-to-head at Anfield this afternoon, with the Brighton boss hoping to extend his unbeaten record against the Reds to five games amid him being one of the leading candidates to take over from the German in the summer.

On punditry duty for Sky Sports, the ex-Manchester United captain was asked for his verdict on the 44-year-old prior to the match. While he was complimentary of De Zerbi’s overall personality, he questioned whether the Italian had the necessary credential to take over at a club of Liverpool’s expectations.

Keane said: “I look at his CV and I still have my question marks about whether he’s ready for that step yet for Liverpool. I’ve got my doubts. His teams play a lovely brand of football but I still have doubts about what he’s won to take that job.”

While De Zerbi has a very impressive record against Liverpool and has done a fantastic job overall at Brighton, the Sky pundit’s reservations may well be shared by many Reds fans. The 44-year-old has yet to win a league title as a manager, even in charge of Shakhtar Donetsk, who are usually dominant in Ukraine.

With no disrespect to the Seagulls, what constitutes success at the Amex Stadium is different from what’d be expected of whoever comes in to replace Klopp at Anfield.

You can view Keane’s thoughts on De Zerbi below, via @SkySportsPL on X:

"I've got my doubts"

Would Roberto De Zerbi be a good fit to take over from Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool? pic.twitter.com/YUGmcT7wm0

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) March 31, 2024

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Roberto De Zerbi is perhaps the most well known of the strongly touted candidates to replace Jurgen Klopp this summer but he hasn’t had the best season.

Speaking exclusively with Empire of the Kop’s Substack, Jan Age Fjortoft assessed the Seagulls’ boss: ‘Roberto De Zerbi took over at Brighton and did a great job but this season, he has lost a lot of games.

‘He’s had a bad spell and that may work against him. So, it’s so much about timing.’

READ MORE: Exclusive: Postecoglou named as candidate who could replace Klopp; ‘understands’ LFC – Fjortoft

This can be used for Xabi Alonso too, right now his stock is very high and although it seems like there’s no reason this can change in a year – situatuons change rapidly.

Jurgen Klopp has twice followed up remarkable seasons with ones that are far below the expected standards and many people wrote him off.

Even with Ruben Amorim too, his Sporting Lisbon side have clinched the league and then fell off before launching an attack on the top prize again in this campaign.

READ MORE: Exclusive: Fjortoft: ‘my gut feeling’ on Liverpool winning the Premier League

Brighton may not be in the best moment but that doesn’t mean their Italian boss is not a good coach, especially when considering the sale of key players, maiden European tour and amount of injuries to contend with.

Perhaps the biggest test will be facing our manager at Anfield on Easter Sunday, with a lot at stake for the Reds.

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Jurgen Klopp will have little interest in who is replacing him at Anfield, until the season has ended, but that hasn’t stopped him from assessing the talents of one candidate.

After news that Xabi Alonso will not be leaving Bayer Leverkusen this summer, Paul Joyce named Roberto De Zerbi (alongside Ruben Amorim) as one of the lead candidates to take over from the German.

Ahead of facing Brighton, our manager discussed the talents of their boss: “Roberto is doing obviously an incredible job there and it’s a different game against Brighton, definitely.

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“I think we improved over 18, 20 months since he’s there. The first game was surprising – I think we were the first opponent after he joined the club, if I’m right, and we had no clue what we have to expect.

“We knew how he played in his former club, we knew what Graham [Potter] did, but nobody knew how that would look in the end and it was quite impressive how quick he obviously got the team in his way.

“Since then, it only got better, it’s really impressive. It’s a different way of playing football.”

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It won’t be an easy task for the Reds as we try to beat a manager that we’ve yet to defeat since his arrival in the Premier League, knowing it’s a win that is all we can record.

The international break has allowed a chance to assess our future managerial options but from kick-off on Easter Sunday, it’s all about doing the job to end this season on a high.

You can watch Klopp’s comments on De Zerbi (from 2:48) via Liverpool FC on YouTube:

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It seems that the dream of Xabi Alonso taking over at Liverpool is all but over and now Paul Joyce has helped reset our aims on the two candidates currently in the running for the job.

Writing for The Times, the northern football correspondent reported: ‘The development strengthens the hand of candidates such as the Sporting Lisbon head coach, Rúben Amorim, who is highly regarded at Anfield, and the Brighton & Hove Albion manager, Roberto De Zerbi.’

Neither are new names but this does present a chance to look closer at the pair who are currently the frontrunners in a seeming two horse race.

READ MORE: Paul Joyce delivers Alonso hammer blow with Xabi ‘unlikely’ to be Klopp’s successor

Ruben Amorim’s Sporting side won the league in 2021 and are currently on course to repeat that feat this season, quite an achievement when competing against Porto and Benfica.

Praised for ‘man-management and tactical acumen’ in the same report, the 39-year-old could be available for £17 million if the Reds want to meet his release clause.

Playing three at the back, the team from Lisbon are praised for intense pressing out of possession and it took just 13 games during his time as Braga manager for the former midfielder’s current club to lure him away from his first coaching role.

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Next up is a name that is perhaps more familiar to our supporters, with Roberto De Zerbi remaining unbeaten against Jurgen Klopp during our manager’s time at Anfield.

Connections to Richard Hughes, our new sporting director, see that the Italian’s decision to join Brighton over Bournemouth meant that the new man in a senior role at our club is clearly a long-term admirer.

A first season in Europe has met sales of key players and injury problems to delay progress at the Amex this season but with the Seagulls in eighth place in the Premier League, it’s been far from disastrous.

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In Amorim’s style of play, there are clear similarities to our current pressing style – whilst De Zerbi produces attacking football that has seen them create more shots on goal than any other team in the division last season.

It’s perhaps not the Hollywood names we dreamed of to replace the legendary figure in the current role but we have to trust those in charge to analyse the stats in order to find the perfect candidate.

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Liverpool should discover little in the way of resistance should they wish to sign Roberto De Zerbi as Jurgen Klopp’s successor.

Brighton CEO Paul Barber admitted back in 2022 that the Seagulls were already working on finding a successor the minute the Italian joined.

“It sounds strange but almost as soon as a new manger comes in we are looking for the next one,” the south coast executive told Sky Sports (via Sussex World).

“Such is football and such is the nature of it. We did not expect to lose Graham when we did and we put a lot of work into the type of manager we wanted to replace him.

“We are looking at the style of play of coaches all over Europe. What resources they are working with and what results they are getting from those resources.

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Brighton are an extremely well-run club

It’s to Liverpool’s – or, perhaps, Bayern Munich’s – advantage that Brighton are extremely well-run.

Though perhaps the Reds should be keeping in mind whomever the Premier League outfit is tracking as De Zerbi’s potential successor!

Fortunately, it seems there are alternative options in play should we, A: Be unable to land Xabi Alonso this summer; and B: aren’t 100% committed to the idea of the Brighton manager.

Ruben Amorim is reportedly Liverpool’s second choice

Fabrizio Romano now claims that the Sporting Lisbon boss is second on Liverpool’s list.

This comes after claims the 39-year-old performed very well on internal data tests carried out by William Spearman.

It very much seems we won’t be forced down just one avenue should Xabi Alonso stay put.

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Roberto De Zerbi will reportedly be Bayern Munich’s next favourite target should they be unable to recruit Xabi Alonso.

Sky German’s Florian Plettenberg shared the update on X (formerly Twitter) – as was confirmed by German outlet SportBILD – this morning.

Roberto De Zerbi, top candidate for FC Bayern in case Xabi #Alonso stays at Bayer 04 Leverkusen!

@SPORTBILD confirms our news now

De Zerbi is aware of Bayern’s interest but is currently fully focused on the season finale with Brighton. That's why he's not in… pic.twitter.com/F1USYV1s5b

— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) March 27, 2024

The Merseysiders also admire the Brighton & Hove Albion manager, though Ruben Amorim is thought to be higher on the priority list.

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Liverpool could have a clear run at Amorim

It’s worth noting that Manchester United have also been linked with the Sporting Lisbon boss. That said, one might reasonably venture that our project will prove far more appealing than the current mess over at Old Trafford.

Reassuringly, we otherwise appear to have a relatively clear run at the 39-year-old should we also be unable to convince Alonso to end his relationship with Bayer Leverkusen.

The Spanish head coach has yet to make public any decision over his future whilst his side competes for a first Bundesliga title in its history.

Leverkusen could yet also box off further silverware in the Europa League and DFB Pokal.

Does De Zerbi have better merits?

The obvious differentiator between De Zerbi and Amorim is Premier League experience.

Albeit, it’s worth pointing out that a move to Anfield would still represent a seismic jump for the former Shakhtar Donetsk boss.

It’s far more likely to come down to how the pair comparatively performs on internal data tests.

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Fabrizio Romano has named one ‘concrete candidate’ for the Liverpool manager’s job who can now be deemed second favourite behind Xabi Alonso.

The Bayer Leverkusen boss remains the popular choice among many Reds supporters, but if he proves to be unattainable, it seems that Ruben Amorim is next in line ahead of Roberto De Zerbi.

Speaking on the Men in Blazers podcast, the Italian reporter outlined that Anfield chiefs have a firm ‘interest’ in the Sporting Lisbon coach, but warned that Portuguese clubs can make for especially tough negotiators.

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Romano said: “Ruben Amorim is a concrete candidate for the Liverpool job. I think he is in position number two at this moment, from what I’m told. He also has a release clause in his new contract at Sporting.

“It is difficult to negotiate with Portuguese clubs, especially for special people like Ruben Amorim, but for sure the interest from Liverpool is there. I think Amorim is in position number two; he is a candidate for the Liverpool job at this moment more than Roberto De Zerbi.”

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We’re still remaining optimistic that Liverpool will get their first choice in Alonso, but if it isn’t to be the Bayer Leverkusen boss who takes over from Jurgen Klopp, then Amorim would appear to be a welcome alternative.

The Sporting manager doesn’t turn 40 until next year but has already taken charge of more than 200 games at his current club, and he boasts a Portuguese league title on his CV (Transfermarkt).

He’s also believed to be attracting admiration from Chelsea and Newcastle (GIVEMESPORT), so Anfield chiefs may be eager to convince him that the Reds job would be a more attractive one than either of those two outfits.

Some might lean towards De Zerbi given his proven record in the Premier League and impressive European run with Brighton this term, but unlike Amorim, he’s yet to win a domestic championship.

Both managers saw their teams exit the Europa League in the round of 16 earlier this month, so in that regard there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot to choose between them.

It could be another few weeks before interviews even commence, so any prospective candidates still have a bit of time to make an impression on Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes before the all-important decision is made.

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The post ‘For sure…’ – Romano says ‘concrete candidate for Liverpool job’ is now ahead of De Zerbi appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Xabi Alonso remains the preferred option of many Liverpool supporters to take over from Jurgen Klopp than Anfield, although one journalist has championed an alternative who ‘ticks more boxes’ for the Reds than the Spaniard.

Speaking on ESPN FC, Mark Ogden made the case for Roberto De Zerbi, with a graphic on the programme citing the Brighton boss as joint-fourth favourite to replace the 56-year-old in L4.

The journalist stated: “I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s Roberto De Zerbi. I think De Zerbi ticks more boxes for Liverpool than Alonso does, apart from the fact that Alonso is a club legend… I think De Zerbi is a really good shout for Liverpool, even though he’s probably second favourite right now behind Xabi Alonso.”

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The Italian has done a fine job at the Amex Stadium, building upon the good work of predecessor Graham Potter by qualifying the Seagulls for Europe for the first time in their history and guiding them to the last 16 of the Europa League.

There’s a school of thought that the 44-year-old’s bombastic touchline nature and style of play is more aligned to Klopp and Liverpool than Alonso and Bayer Leverkusen, although it’s impossible to ignore the Spaniard’s exceptional performance in his current post.

His side still haven’t lost a single game all season and look set to win the club’s first-ever Bundesliga title in style, ending the 11-year monopoly of Bayern Munich, while his status as a former Reds player also helps to make him a hugely popular option.

Alonso is certainly the outstanding candidate at the moment, although there are far worse alternatives than De Zerbi.

You can view Ogden’s comments below (from 1:26), via ESPN UK on YouTube:

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