Brighton are braced for the possible departure of boss Roberto De Zerbi at the end of the season with the Italian courted by clubs across Europe.

Mail Sport understands contingency plans are being drawn up in the event De Zerbi should leave. It is believed the 44-year-old is prominent in Liverpool’s thinking as they seek a successor to Jurgen Klopp, who will depart at the end of the campaign.

Former Reds midfielder Xabi Alonso, who has guided Bayer Leverkusen to the top of the Bundesliga in Germany, is another strong candidate.

De Zerbi’s daring style of football has won admirers across Europe though his results at Brighton this season have been mixed, with only four wins from the Seagulls’ last 18 Premier League games, though they have progressed to the last 16 of the Europa League during that time.

Brighton are braced for the possible departure of boss Roberto De Zerbi at the end of the season

Mail Sport understands contingency plans are being drawn up in the event De Zerbi should leave the club

The former Shakhtar Donetsk boss is thought to have had frustrations at a relative lack of control over transfer business, even though he claimed last December that he was open to signing a new contract with Brighton. ‘We are speaking about the new contract but at the moment we are only speaking,’ De Zerbi said. 

‘At the end we have to analyse the target. If the targets are the same as the club’s, it’s an honour for me working in Brighton. I don’t try to reach the higher level. It’s important for me to fix an important target.’

Brighton’s recruitment and talent identification plans are the envy of European football, meaning the coach will usually have only limited influence over this area.

That programme has been so successful that the club are unlikely ever to change it to satisfy the coach of the day.