Rumour Mongering: Liverpool Make Contact with Xabi Alonso

Liverpool continue to stumble through their 2025-26 campaign, with the brief buoyancy provided by victories over League One’s Barnsley in the FA Cup and Marseille in the Champions League crashing headfirst into a deserved defeat at the hands of a Bournemouth side that had won once in their previous 14 outings, talk of manager Arne Slot’s future is once again on the front burner.

After 23 matchweeks, the Reds are sixth, passed by both Chelsea and Manchester United after their latest stumble. For a team

that has dealt with fewer injuries than leaders Arsenal—and had fewer missing on Saturday than opponents Bournemouth—and spent over £450M last summer, it simply isn’t good enough. As for who might be in line if Slot is sacked, there’s only one obvious answer.

That answer is Xabi Alonso. Or at least that’s what everyone in the media and probably every Liverpool fan to boot is convinced of. And on that front, the latest chatter out of Spain via AS has the recently dismissed Real Madrid boss having been contacted by Liverpool’s higher ups in an effort to determine if he’s the right choice should Slot depart and just as importantly if he’d take the gig.

Further, it’s suggested that for Alonso it would be an easy decision—he would see Liverpool as his preferred next destination should the job become available. He’s also said to be happy to wait at least until the summer for the right job rather than rushing straight back into the first job offered. As for Liverpool, the Spanish reports claims he has been given at least until the end of the current season.

That stance, that Slot deserves a full season to prove he can get this Liverpool side back on track, is entirely commendable. After all, it was only last season the Reds celebrated a league title. Even with that, though, it’s impossible to ignore that Liverpool haven’t looked great going back to autumn 2024, and if they start to fall away from the top four race it will be hard to continue backing him.