Roberto De Zerbi, the manager of Brighton, is still in the running to become the manager of Liverpool. The news that Xabi Alonso will remain at Bayer Leverkusen has improved his chances.
Following the revelation that Xabi Alonso would likely stay at Bayer Leverkusen this summer, Roberto De Zerbi is still a contender for the Liverpool position. With Jürgen Klopp leaving at the end of the 2023–24 season, both De Zerbi and Alonso have been frequently connected to the Anfield opening.
The 42-year-old Alonso was the clear favorite to take over this summer after leading Bayer Leverkusen to the top of the Bundesliga standings. Alonso appears to be staying with Leverkusen, despite Bayern Munich being connected to the Spaniard as well, according to the Liverpool Echo and other sources.
With 10 points more than Bayern Munich at the moment in the Bundesliga, Leverkusen will surely be in the Champions League the following year. According to The Telegraph, Liverpool will now look at other options, such as De Zerbi and Sporting CP manager Rúben Amorim.
On Sunday, Brighton will visit Anfield, where De Zerbi will take on Klopp. De Zerbi has not experienced a loss in their four encounters in England between the two managers.
Before the two teams’ forthcoming match, De Zerbi discussed Klopp’s departure on Sky Sports. “A lot of times I have spoken about Jürgen Klopp,” he stated. “He is a huge man, a great coach, and an amazing coach, and I have a lot of respect for him.
“He’s leaving Liverpool and the Premier League, which makes me sad. However, Jürgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola are the managers that have the most influence on us, the younger coaches.”
Bayern has reportedly made De Zerbi a target as well; Bild claims he has even had discussions with the German champions. Manchester United may pursue the 44-year-old if Erik ten Hag is fired, while Barcelona may also make a move in search of Xavi’s replacement.
De Zerbi did, however, restate his pledge to Brighton through the end of the current campaign, at the very least. He once declared, “I only have Brighton in my head,” according to The Mirror earlier this month.
“I want to compete and win as many games as we can with our young players to end the season in the best possible way. Indeed, I am under contract. I haven’t made any decisions. Brighton is my only priority at this time.”
