ESPN pundit and ex-Reds defender Steve Nicol has claimed that Roberto De Zerbi would be an 'ideal' replacement for Jurgen Klopp should he leave Liverpool.

The Lowdown: Brighton success

De Zerbi was appointed as Brighton & Hove Albion manager after the departure of Graham Potter, who vacated the role in September.

Since taking the reins, the Seagulls boss has got his squad competing for European football and could well be playing in the Europa League or Europa Conference League next season.

Meanwhile, Liverpool are having a disastrous campaign, having only won eight of their 20 Premier League matches this season, while they have just one victory in their last five league matches.

The Latest: 'Ideal' replacement

Nicol doesn't think Klopp should be sacked by the Reds amid their horrid run, but if that were to happen, De Zerbi would be his pick to replace him

Addressing the situation on ESPN, he stated: "I've already said that I think [De] Zerbi at Brighton has got them playing absolutely fantastic football. So to me, he would be ideal."

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The Verdict: Back Klopp

We believe that Liverpool must continue to back Klopp despite their poor season so far.

TalkSport's Simon Jordan claimed that despite their problems on the pitch, he backs the German to 'fix' their problems and steady the ship.

We share this view as Klopp has won the lot and there is arguably no obvious replacement if they were to sack him in the near future.

Part of the blame also lays on the players in regard to Liverpool's woeful form, and we think it is an ageing squad that needs a refresh, particularly in midfield.

The Reds board need to oversee more changes in the upcoming summer window, and you could argue in the last two windows - particularly January - that the club rested on its laurels and didn't strengthen in multiple areas of the pitch when they perhaps should have done.

For example, they didn't sign any new centre-backs, and swapping out the likes of Nat Phillips - someone who has hardly featured this season - for a better defensive upgrade is one area that may have been worth improving.