ESPN journalist explains why he wouldn’t be ‘surprised’ if Liverpool hire Roberto De Zerbi

ESPN journalist Mark Ogden believes Liverpool will prefer Roberto de Zerbi over Xabi Alonso

ESPN journalist Mark Ogden believes Roberto De Zerbi has a greater chance of becoming Liverpool’s manager next season, despite Xabi Alonso being the favourite to take over the Reds.

Liverpool supporters were shocked and in a state of anger when Jurgen Klopp announced he was quitting as manager of the Reds. The former head coach of Borussia Dortmund had an incredible ten years, taking home each trophy imaginable.

And now his exit will see the Reds look for a manager who can keep the Reds in contention for all trophies, and plenty of names have been mentioned to take charge of the club.

Fans will be happy to see Alonso become their next manager. He has done exemplary work at Bayer Leverkusen and made them title winners in the Bundesliga. But according to an ESPN reporter, Ogden feels Liverpool would rather appoint De Zerbi. Speaking to ESPN, he said:

‘’I think Alonso is obviously the fan favourite, and he ticks all the boxes, but I think my club will go for someone different, and I won’t be surprised if Liverpool appoints Roberto de Zerbi. I think De Zerbi also checks all the boxes for Liverpool, while Bayern Munich are strong contenders to bring Alonso. So I think De Zerbi has a greater chance to become Liverpool manager, even though he is less popular behind Alonso.’’

De Zerbi will be a more suitable option than Alonso

Alonso is a legend of the club since he played for Liverpool and knows how they operate. He will also be able to connect to the requirements of the supporters and they will be patient with his progress, which will be a bonus for him.

However, he is a young coach, and his work at Leverkusen is truly admirable. But the Premier League is entirely distinct from the Bundesliga, so it will take him more seasons to get used to the standards of the league and apply his values in order to form a title challenger team.

In the case of De Zerbi, he has been here for two years, and he is now well aware of how to manage a Premier League club. Last season, he took Brighton & Hove Albion to a Europa League spot, but he lost some of his key players this campaign, which has affected his team’s performance.

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Thus with a fully functional team, his side is always ready to challenge big sides such as Arsenal, Manchester City, and Manchester United and contend for top four spots and trophies. Therefore he can undoubtedly tick every box and implement his strategy more quickly.