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Roberto De Zerbi will have an audition for the Liverpool job on Sunday - but in truth he has already passed it.

Liverpool have done their homework on who should succeed Jurgen Klopp and had identified De Zerbi long before frontrunner Xabi Alonso ruled himself out to improve the Italian’s chances.

De Zerbi is vying with Ruben Amorim for the right to follow Klopp at Anfield and he has won one title in his native Portugal with Sporting Lisbon and is on track for a second this season.

Liverpool fans will naturally be disappointed Alonso will not be returning this summer, but the club remain confident they can fill Klopp’s substantial boots.

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De Zerbi, 44, used Anfield to announce himself to the Premier League in October 2022 when his Brighton side gave Liverpool a bloody nose in his first Seagulls game.

They played Liverpool off the park to race into a 2-0 lead before Leandro Trossard completed his hat-trick after the Reds had fought back.

De Zerbi then masterminded two wins over Liverpool at the Amex Stadium in January in the Premier League and FA Cup(

De Zerbi guided Brighton to sixth - their highest finish ever - and took them into Europe for the first time.

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They have found this season harder going - not surprising when the club sold over £200million worth of talent in the summer, including Alexis Mac Allister and Moses Caicedo - but they are still eighth and pushing for another European place.

De Zerbi also sold €150million worth of talent in his three years at Sassuolo and he is a manager who can succeed despite such an exodus.

Liverpool have noted his transfer acumen and they need a manager who can achieve success, upsetting the odds.

The Reds don’t have the financial muscle of Manchester City, Manchester United or Chelsea, so they need to be smart.

De Zerbi is smart and deserves his place on Liverpool’s shortlist

He is ambitious and he has refused to commit himself to Brighton beyond this summer, even though he is under contract until 2026.

“I have only Brighton in my head,” De Zerbi, who is understood to have an £11million release clause.

“I would like to finish the season in the best way with our young players, to compete and win as many games as we can.

“Yes, I have a contract
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