Liverpool may feel that Roberto De Zerbi is the ideal Jurgen Klopp replacement following a glowing review from club legend Jamie Carragher on Monday Night Football. Certainly, many Liveprool fans will. The Italian has thrived since joining Brighton last year and quickly asserted himself as one of the best managers in the Premier League.
Despite speculative links with the Germany national team vacancy, Liverpool fans have been given no reason to fret over the future of Klopp recently. The ex-Borussia Dortmund boss signed a contract extension at the club last year which will now see him stay until the summer of 2026 at least.
With the Reds splashing the cash to rebuild their squad over the past few months, Klopp will feel that he has a crop of fresh faces that he can push for titles with now – and thus, it is unlikely that he will leave on his own accord beforehand.
However, despite Liverpool having the utmost trust in Klopp, they will be monitoring who could succeed him in the Anfield dugout for when that moment comes. Bayer Leverkusen’s Xabi Alonso and club legend Steven Gerrard have both been highlighted as potential candidates due to their history with the club, though De Zerbi’s success at the Amex Stadium is hard to ignore.
The ex-Sassuolo boss has Brighton playing some of the best possession-based football in the Premier League, recently putting both Manchester United and Newcastle to the sword with impressive tactical displays.
De Zerbi was also pivotal in guiding the Seagulls to Europe last season, and he can further prove his credentials in the Europa League over the coming weeks versus the likes of Ajax and Marseille, whom Brighton will fancy themselves against.
Carragher has consistently sung the praises of the Italian boss since his arrival in England and how he has transformed the club from a visually pleasing but inefficient team under Graham Potter to being on the cusp of breaking into the ‘Big Six’.
Speaking to Sky Sports about their 3-1 win over United on Saturday, Carragher said: “The football that we are seeing from Brighton right now is out of this world. I don’t think any result that Brighton get now is a shock. I think we are watching one of the best teams in the Premier League, and certainly one of the best managers.”
With Klopp set to stay until 2026, Liverpool have plenty of time to brew over a decision, though the timeframe could also suit all parties given that De Zerbi has insisted that he is ‘living a dream’ with Brighton at this moment in time.
Given that both managers like to implement a 4-3-3 system with players who enjoy being in possession, the higher powers on Merseyside may have stumbled across their ideal future boss – and they will be hoping that the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea don’t beat them to it.
