The future of Arne Slot at Liverpool continues to remain shrouded in some doubt after more reports in the Spanish media suggested he was facing the sack ‘this week’ and with a massive name already agreeing to replace him in the Anfield dugout.
The Dutchman waltzed to Premier League title glory in his first season at the helm, taking Jurgen Klopp’s blueprint to secure a historic triumph as Anfield witnessed in person its first English league title success in some 35 years. But while Liverpool allowed Slot to put his own stamp on the side during the summer, his mammoth £440m (€505m, $600m) squad investment is yet to pay serious dividends.
Indeed, instead of the trophy dynasty Liverpool hoped they would create by signing the likes of Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike in mega-money deals, the club has actually gone backwards.
And a woeful run of form over the autumn, in which the Reds lost nine times in 12 games across all competitions, seriously ramped up the pressure on Slot’s shoulders.
Since then, though, Liverpool have gone unbeaten in nine games, though two draws against Leeds, one at home to Sunderland and, most recently, at Fulham on Sunday, is indicative of a side well below their best.
As a result, speculation on Slot’s future has gathered serious pace once again this week and, ahead of Thursday night’s clash at table-toppers, Arsenal, reports in Spain claim Liverpool are ready to dispense with the Dutchman’s services ‘this week’, with their board allegedly ‘fed up’ of their poor results and ongoing mistakes.
Now, a fresh menacing report from Spain, as relayed by Football365, claims that Real Madrid head coach Alonso, who is under pressure at the Bernabeu, ‘has a preliminary agreement with Liverpool to become their new manager.’
And amid claims Alonso could be dismissed if Real lose their Spanish Super Cup semi-final to Atletico Madrid on Thursday in Saudi Arabia, the report adds that Liverpool are ‘keeping a close eye on the situation’ and are ‘convinced his tenure will not be long-lasting’.
Furthermore, it’s claimed the Reds see Alonso as ‘fitting in perfectly with their football philosophy’.
And while the intensity of the job at the Bernabeu has seen Alonso put under early pressure, that does not necessarily equate to an immediate move to Anfield….
Want breaking transfer lines from original sources? Add TEAMtalk as a preferred source on Googleto your favourites list for news you can trust.
Will Arne Slot really be sacked by Liverpool?
It’s fair to say that, during Liverpool’s woeful run of form over the autumn, the Dutchman did find himself on the cusp of the sack.
Indeed, the trusted Liverpool Echo reporter Ian Doyle stated that, after their 4-1 home humbling by PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League in November, the 47-year-old was ‘one week away from the sack’.
Since then, they have gone unbeaten, though, have looked far from convincing and the club’s former player, John Aldridge, has this week aired his fears that FSG were ready to pull the trigger, fuelled by the actions of both Chelsea and Manchester United, who have sacked Enzo Maresca and Ruben Amorim, respectively, since the turn of the year.
Furthermore, claims of rising tensions between Slot and sporting director Richard Hughes have done little to ease the speculation…
However, while Slot will need to enjoy a strong end to the season to keep the wolves from his door, the situation is perhaps not quite as volatile as made out.
And it’s also worth noting that, at this stage, there are no reputable publications that have stated in the here and now that Slot is under any immediate danger of losing his job.
Slot, however, was asked about his side’s apparent lack of identity in the aftermath of that draw at Craven Cottage and was quick to defend his style amid fresh sack allegations.
“Yes, I would love us to create more from ball possession,” Slot told reporters after Liverpool were pegged back late by the Cottagers, despite boasting 58% possession at Craven Cottage.
“I can tell you this, my philosophy of football hasn’t changed this year compared to all the seasons I was a manager before, but we have to do it with the players that we have available.
“And I think today, 11 very good football players were on the pitch, maybe not all of them in their normal position, but in the first half, they controlled the game.
“Just before they scored, we had exactly the same chance from Cody Gakpo, which went on the other side of the post.
“And in the second half, two disallowed goals, two goals scored, a header on the bar. So things to like, but the result is, again, not what we may deserve, question mark.”
As for Alonso, he has never hidden from his admiration for his former club, but insists his focus remains on Real Madrid.
Speaking last month, he openly admitted that a return to Anfield could be on the agenda at some point in the future.
Asked if he would consider a return to English football, he revealed: “Well, for sure.
“There’s this bond with the English clubs, for sure with my former club, but at the moment this is my place. This is where I want to be.
“In the future, you never know what could happen.”
Latest Liverpool news: Stunning Semenyo hijack? Burnley defender signs up
Meanwhile, stunning claims suggest Liverpool are not out of the race to sign Antoine Semenyo just yet and are on course to hijack Manchester City’s agreement, according to Jamie Redknapp, while TEAMtalk can dissect what would happen were the Reds to make a concrete move.
Elsewhere, as Liverpool continue to maintain their interest in Marc Guehi despite Manchester City stepping up their pursuit of the Crystal Palace star, another defender has announced that he is moving to Anfield in the January transfer window after confirmation that he would be leaving Burnley.
And finally, Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Liverpool may not be able to bring Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace to Anfield in the January transfer window, while Slot has addressed the situation of Harvey Elliott, who is struggling to make an impact at Aston Villa.