Liverpool told Klopp's heir by Di Canio

Stuart Telford

• 24 Mar 2023 10:17 GMT
• 3 min read

Speculation about Jurgen Klopp's future as Liverpool manager persists, and there is an obvious candidate impressing in the Premier League whom Paolo Di Canio thinks would be the perfect replacement.

Liverpool have pulled up to sixth in the Premier League in recent months, seven points away from the Champions League places, but this remains their worst campaign in eight seasons under Klopp.

It is understood the club's Fenway Sports Group (FSG) owners retain faith in the German however, and he is set to oversee a rebuild this summer, with Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham the club's top transfer target.

READ: Liverpool remain confident on Bellingham as they hold three transfer aces

But Di Canio, who scored three goals in six career meetings with Liverpool as a Premier League striker in the late 1990s and early 2000s, think Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi would be worthy of the role.

'De Zerbi could be Klopp's heir'

"Due to the playing style he develops [at his clubs], he could be [Jurgen] Klopp's heir at Liverpool in the future," Di Canio told Tutto Sport of his Italian compatriot.

— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) January 29, 2023

De Zerbi has indeed impressed since replacing the Chelsea-bound Graham Potter at Brighton in September, winning 13 of his 25 games, which have included a double over Liverpool.

READ: Chelsea paid world-record fee for Graham Potter

Brighton held Liverpool to a 3-3 draw in October, and the Seagulls have since bettered the Reds in the Premier League and the FA Cup, winning 3-0 in the former and 2-1 in the latter.

Liverpool have, perhaps unsurprisingly, also been linked with a number of Brighton players since, from Kaoru Mitoma to Moises Caicedo.

De Zerbi, who most recently managed Shakhtar Donetsk, has been linked with the managerial jobs at Tottenham Hotspur and Roma in recent weeks, with speculation surrounding the futures of Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho.

The Italian reportedly has a release clause of just £11m (€12.5m), making him eminently affordable should Liverpool decide to try something new ahead of next season.