Liverpool know this place all too well. Big calls. Bigger pressure. And no easy answers.
After another damaging defeat on Saturday, the heat around Arne Slot has cranked up another notch. Liverpool haven’t won a Premier League game since December 27 against Wolves.
The numbers since then are brutal: just four wins from their last 18 league matches — the worst run of the modern era.
Against that backdrop, reports from AS in Spain say Liverpool have made contact with Xabi Alonso, sounding out their former midfielder over a potential future return — not as a player, but as head coach.
No decision has been made on Slot. The club’s approach is measured: check Alonso’s availability first, then decide the next move.
From Liverpool’s side, the interest makes
sense. Alonso is viewed as a long-term option, potentially for the 2026–27 season, rather than an immediate fix.
Alonso, who stepped away from Real Madrid after a Super Cup defeat to Barcelona, is currently in what he describes as “active rest.” He’s recovering from an exhausting spell and has no interest in jumping straight back into management.
During his playing days, Alonso enjoyed an outstanding career at the highest level, representing Liverpool, Madrid and Bayern Munich.
Following retirement, Alonso made his mark in management by transforming Bayer Leverkusen into a European powerhouse — becoming the first Bundesliga side to complete an undefeated season, going 51 matches without defeat across all competitions during the 2023/2024 campaign.
Contact between Liverpool and Alonso’s representatives has been positive, but nothing is imminent. Slot is still expected to see out the season, despite mixed results and heavy spending.
A return to Anfield would carry emotional weight for Alonso after five years in red — just not yet.
