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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READ MORE: What Liverpool are now saying after reports claim Xabi Alonso prefers Bayern – report
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.