Liverpool could be set to miss out to Bayern Munich on Xabi Alonso, but Micah Richards has suggested one ‘top manager’ from the Premier League who could be a viable candidate to replace Jurgen Klopp.
The Bavarian giants have reportedly opened talks with the Bayer Leverkusen boss to take over from Thomas Tuchel, and if they get their man, it’ll leave the Reds needing to pursue alternatives.
Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, the ex-Manchester City defender stated his belief that Roberto De Zerbi has the requisite qualities for the Anfield job.
Richards said of the Brighton boss: “I think he’s got the ability [to replace Klopp]. He’s a top manager.”
The pundit added of the Italian: “He’s got something special. He’s a bit like Pep, not in terms of quality but the way they see the game, always trying to [be] forward thinking in terms of ‘what can I do differently, tactically’.
“Sometimes it can be seen as too much but when it works, it really does work for him, and I think he’s got all the attributes to be a top, top manager.”
De Zerbi has done tremendously at Brighton, taking charge in the midst of last season after Graham Potter’s abrupt exit for Chelsea and guiding the Seagulls to a sixth-place finish, as well as topping their Europa League group ahead of Marseille and Ajax in the south coast club’s first-ever continental campaign.
His eye for shrewd transfer dealings has been borne out in last summer’s swoop for the prolific Joao Pedro and decision to cash in on Moises Caicedo when the Ecuadorian’s market value was through the roof, and he’s also honed the talents of gifted youngsters such as Evan Ferguson at the Amex Stadium.
However, the 44-year-old’s side have been hit-and-miss in the league this term, dismantling the likes of Newcastle and Tottenham but also shipping heavy defeats to Aston Villa, Fulham and 18th-placed Luton.
Prising De Zerbi from Brighton would feel more akin to Liverpool’s swoop for Brendan Rodgers rather than a blockbuster appointment like Klopp.
The current Celtic boss got the Anfield gig in 2012 off the back of leading Swansea to mid-table in their first Premier League season – an impressive achievement, for sure, but not quite comparable to the German winning successive Bundesliga titles with Borussia Dortmund.
The Italian may not be top of the queue for FSG right now, and he doesn’t stand out as the best candidate out there, but let’s see if LFC lean more towards him should Bayern snap up Alonso.