Bayern informs De Zerbi that he is a backup plan to Alonso
Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi will supposedly be a backup plan in Bayern Munich‘s manager search. Reports out of Germany are claiming that Italian coach is rated highly by the Bundesliga club. BILD reported earlier this week that Bayern director of sport Max Eberl recently discussed the potential position with De Zerbi. The exec wanted to officially announce the club’s interest in possibly hiring the Premier League coach.
Following the BILD report, Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg essentially confirmed the news on Wednesday. Plettenberg took to social media to claim that De Zerbi is now aware of Bayern’s interest. However, the Italian has resisted the urge to negotiate with the German giants. Instead, De Zerbi remains focused on Brighton’s current season.
The Seagulls recently exited the Europa League after losing to Serie A side Roma. Nevertheless, De Zerbi and company will still be looking to finish out the domestic campaign on a high note. Brighton currently sits eighth in the Premier League table, within reach of a potential European place. They are just five points behind sixth-place Manchester United with 10 matches remaining on the schedule.
Alonso decision impacts what De Zerbi does
Bayern’s interest in De Zerbi, however, will only accelerate if Xabi Alonso does not agree to join the club. The former midfielder has done wonders at Bayer Leverkusen and is a wanted man at Liverpool as well. There is also a chance that the highly rated coach will remain with Leverkusen beyond the current campaign.
With Alonso at the helm, Leverkusen currently finds themselves atop the Bundesliga table. Not only are they leading the league, but Alonso’s side is 10 points ahead of Bayern in the standings at the moment. Assuming his current club finishes the job, Alonso may prefer to remain with Leverkusen rather than jump ship.
Nevertheless, Bayern could potentially lose out on both Alonso and De Zerbi. It was recently reported that new Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes has previous links with the Brighton coach. Hughes previously tried to lure De Zerbi to Bournemouth when Hughes was working with the South Coast club. If Alonso stays put, Liverpool may act fast to sign De Zerbi ahead of Bayern.
Italian coach likely set for major move after 2023/24 season
The Bundesliga team’s recent contact with the Italian coach could have been a preemptive attempt to entice De Zerbi to move to Germany rather than Merseyside. However, the Italian will seemingly get to choose between some solid options later this summer. Most soccer managers would only dream of being able to choose between Bayern and Liverpool in their careers. Barcelona is expressing interest in the Brighton boss as well.
Even if Alonso is on the move this summer, De Zerbi will still seemingly earn a promotion to a top club. The Italian certainly deserves it, as he has taken Brighton to heights previously not seen on the team. Although Alonso is the prime target for both Bayern and Liverpool, De Zerbi is seemingly the perfect Plan B for either side.
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