Liverpool and Bayern Munich each reportedly view Brighton & Hove Albion head coach Roberto De Zerbi as a realistic managerial appointment this summer.
The two European powerhouses are in the market for a fresh face for the dugout with Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel due to depart their respective roles at the end of the season.
In both cases, Xabi Alonso - currently of Bayer Leverkusen - has been linked with the soon-to-be vacant positions courtesy of leading his side on an historic unbeaten run in all competitions since the beginning of the campaign.
Whether the Spaniard will be tempted into a move elsewhere remains to be seen, Leverkusen officials consistently saying that they remain confident of retaining his services.
Nevertheless, both Anfield and the Allianz Arena will both be viewed as realistic destinations as long as there remains uncertainty over his long-term future.
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Reports have indicated that a switch to Bayern may be Alonso's preferred move should he bring an end to his stint with Leverkusen, who are competing to achieve a Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and Europa League treble.
However, the respective clubs are in need of a backup should Alonso either pick the other club or choose to remain at the BayArena.
According to BILD, De Zerbi is viewed as the primary alternative to Alonso by the English and German teams.
Although Brighton were recently outclassed by Roma in the Europa League last 16, De Zerbi continues to receive plaudits for his style of play and keeping the Seagulls in the top eight of the Premier League table.
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The Italian has reiterated his happiness at the Amex Stadium on a number of occasions, yet the report suggests that Liverpool's incoming sporting director Richard Hughes is a huge admirer of the 44-year-old.
Hughes was allegedly interested in bringing De Zerbi to Bournemouth, where he has been since hanging up his boots in 2014 at the same club, before De Zerbi made other moves in his career.
Meanwhile, the same report claims that Bayern have already spoken to De Zerbi to gauge his interest in moving to the Bundesliga outfit should the role be offered to him.
As it stands, De Zerbi holds a contract at Brighton until 2026, and an extension with improved terms would likely be offered should it become a possibility that he receives an offer from elsewhere.
That said, Brighton CEO Paul Barber has made no secret of identifying alternatives to De Zerbi in the event that the highly-rated head coach attracts concrete interest, as they had done before Graham Potter left for Chelsea.
Darren Plant
