No Xabi Alonso, no problem! Liverpool earmark coveted Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi to succeed Jurgen Klopp if move for Bayer Leverkusen coach falls through

The Reds are looking for Klopp's successor after the German manager confirmed he would be leaving at the end of the season. Ex-Liverpool star Alonso has emerged as the favourite to take over amid his incredible work at surprise Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen. The German club do not want him to leave, though, so the Anfield side are considering other options should they fail to bring in their main target.

De Zerbi has been identified as one of the possible Klopp replacements, The Guardian reports. The Italian impressed in spells in charge of Sassuolo and Shakhtar before making an impact at Brighton after replacing Graham Potter following his move to Chelsea. The Carabao Cup winners' interest is said to be at an "exploratory stage" and De Zerbi told reporters on Friday that he will stay at Brighton next season.

"Yes, I have a contract. I have decided nothing. My focus is on Brighton - 100%," he said.

De Zerbi is not the only candidate on Liverpool's shortlist as Sporting CP boss Ruben Amorim is also a candidate to succeed Klopp, while Julian Nagelsmann is also said to be an option. Furthermore, It has also been reported that Barcelona have settled on De Zerbi as their preferred option to replace Xavi as coach.

Before Klopp's departure, the Merseyside club will hope to add more trophies to their collection this season as they remain in contention to win the Premier League, Europa League and FA Cup. Up next, the league leaders face Nottingham Forest on Saturday.