A summer of change is coming across Europe's top football clubs. At the very least, Liverpool and Barcelona will be getting new managers. The whispers—so many whispers—follow other major teams as well.

Erik ten Hag continues to remain under pressure at Manchester United. People aren't sure about Mauricio Pochettino at Chelsea. Massimiliano Allegri rolls on with Juventus.

How can these clubs and others actually move forward? It's time to have a think.

Manchester United: Roberto De Zerbi

The arrival of Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS as a leading shareholder seems to be pushing Manchester United down a certain path.

Rumors suggest an English manager—perhaps even the England manager—will be lined up after Ten Hag inevitably falls.

Gareth Southgate is not an exciting manager. He is pragmatic, a powerful speaker on difficult issues and has made England more likable. Despite getting to the FIFA World Cup semifinals in 2018 and the Euro 2022 final, there are still question marks over his cautiousness as a coach.

England should win Euro 2024; anything else is a failure when you have the likes of Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice to call on. The Three Lions' result will likely impact whether Southgate arrives at Old Trafford. Do United want him if they fail to lift the trophy? Is it the natural step if they win it?

Either way, Brighton & Hove Albion's Roberto De Zerbi should be top of Ratcliffe's list.

He is Premier League-proven, plays exciting football and continuously gets a lot from his players. Ratcliffe recently said he'd rather find the next Kylian Mbappé than buy the current one, an indication that the budget might be tight. De Zerbi is more than used to uncovering gems and turning them into superstars.

Barcelona: Roberto De Zerbi

Just a few weeks ago, we ranked the early candidates to replace Xavi Hernandez when he leaves Barcelona at the end of the current campaign. Like United, the Blaugrana need a rebuild that goes beyond the squad. The club is lagging and feels out of date.

While Mikel Arteta remains an excellent shout if Barca could hire anyone, he isn't going to leave Arsenal. Spanish-speaking De Zerbi would be able to settle quickly and begin working his magic on the fundamentals that make his teams so successful.

Barcelona's money issues could also feel less of a strain with the Italian at the helm.

De Zerbi commands great trust from players, staff and the board at Brighton. That kind of attitude from Joan Laporta could kick-start a new Barca future that currently seems murky.

Liverpool: Xabi Alonso

It just makes sense, doesn't it?

Xabi Alonso is a Liverpool legend and, arguably, the hottest coach in Europe. His Bayer Leverkusen side are cruising to the Bundesliga title on a historic unbeaten run. They're doing it with incredible style, playing innovative football, scoring tons of goals and showing a never-say-die attitude in difficult moments. It's very Liverpool.

The former Reds midfielder is as ready-made a replacement for the departing Jurgen Klopp as you could wish to get. Reds fans are incredibly connected to their boss and will allow time for the right candidate to settle before their assault on success. The passion for Alonso is already there, as are the conditions for him to grow as a coach.

He'll end up at Anfield at some point, but if Liverpool want to be ahead of the game, it needs to be this summer.

Bayern Munich: Zinedine Zidane

It's easy to forget Zinedine Zidane is still available.

The 51-year-old left an incredibly successful spell as Real Madrid manager in 2021 and is yet to bless us with his presence again. He's a likely international coach with France at some point, but whoever can lure him out of his extended break will likely be in for a period of success.

Zizou should be a serious consideration for Bayern, who showed their ambition with the transfer of Harry Kane last summer. Zidane's Madrid were resilient and ruthless; formidable against the Champions League elite and able to crush smaller sides.

He is also used to dealing with club politics, including the pressure that comes from the expectation of former players and media. Bayern is as tough as it gets for big voices wanting a say.

Zidane has the strength of character and coaching quality to deal with it all.

Chelsea: Mauricio Pochettino

It's an indictment of where Chelsea are at that no immediate replacement for Mauricio Pochettino stands out as the right choice.

Zidane would make sense for many of the same reasons as Bayern, but it's hard to see the iconic midfielder wanting to commit to a club that continues to have a scattergun approach to signing players and coaches.

Honestly—and many Blues fans will hate this—sticking with Pochettino could be the right call. He seems to be steadying himself, despite this season being a write-off in the Premier League. The recent 1-1 draw at Manchester City showed a coach who is beginning to understand his players' capabilities. They narrowly lost the EFL Cup final to a formidable Liverpool and are in the FA Cup semifinals.

There doesn't feel a need to start again when progress is being made. Roman Abramovich hired and fired to great success during his era, and it seems Todd Boehly will likely do the same, so the above scenario does seem unlikely.

Juventus: Hansi Flick

Massimiliano Allegri's second spell in Turin is just kind of…happening. Constantly questioned, often uninspiring and underperforming. It's completely stale. There's a sense that the Old Lady needs a coach who has something to prove. A shot of life in a frail arm.

It's perhaps leftfield, but Hansi Flick needs to remind everyone why he was so sought after during his time at Bayern.

His stint with Germany was extremely poor and is likely to have impacted him getting another big job. But Juventus and Flick are in a similar position; fallen giants who need to work towards their potential again.

Flick would be an exciting appointment for a club that remains wounded in the shadow of watching domestic rivals Napoli and Inter Milan enjoy success.

Borussia Dortmund: Ruben Amorim

Ruben Amorim has brought Sporting back to power once more.

Momentum is shifting towards the Portuguese coach getting a huge job, with Manchester United star Bruno Fernandes recently outlining why he should be considered.

It might be a good idea for him to take on a smaller leap before going to one of Europe's mightiest, though.

Borussia Dortmund would be an interesting link-up. Current boss Edin Terzić has the team 20 points off Leverkusen at the summit, and even six points behind Stuttgart in third. Dortmund should always be competing, even in an era of Bayern strolling to multiple titles.

Amorim brought Sporting their first league triumph in two decades back in 2021 and is on course to win another this season. There's a swagger about his team's play, a confidence that is needed to compete with Porto and Benfica domestically.

It's the same energy Dortmund need to get back in the Bundesliga conversation.