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Xabi Alonso has not been in talks with Liverpool any time recently (Image: Getty)
Liverpool have not made contact with Xabi Alonso's representatives despite reports from Spain claiming the Premier League champions have reached out. Arne Slot finds himself under pressure at Anfield following a last-gasp defeat at Bournemouth. It is the fifth time this season Liverpool have lost points in the 95th minute or later. And after Manchester United and Chelsea's wins on Sunday, Liverpool slip down to sixth in the Premier League table. They are 10 points adrift of third-placed Aston Villa, having won just five of their last 18 games under Slot.
Such form has seen the pressure rise on the Dutch head coach and has led to reports that club chiefs have got in contact with Alonso. The legendary former Liverpool midfielder is currently a free agent after leaving his role as Real Madrid manager earlier this month. Despite his Bernabeu axe, Alonso remains a coach held in high esteem across Europe for his excellent job at Bayer Leverkusen.
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His connections to the Reds, and the fact he was a contender to replace Jurgen Klopp before Slot took the role, have seen him tipped to succeed Slot before the season is out. But Fabrizio Romano says there has not been any official contact between Liverpool and Alonso's agents.
The 44-year-old, who made 210 appearances in five seasons on Merseyside between 2004 and 2009, wants a quick return to management, however. That means if Liverpool do make a decision to sack Slot in the near future, Alonso would appear to be ready to return to the club.
Yet there has been no talks between the two parties as it stands. If he did take over at Liverpool at some point in 2026, he would reunite with two former Leverkusen players in Jeremie Frimpong and Florian Wirtz who have found form in recent weeks.
In the meantime, Slot is fighting to prove his future is at Liverpool despite leading the club to the Premier League title last term. His team have 20 points less than they did at this same stage of the season a year ago and are weaker in virtually every aspect.
From 34 matches, they have lost 10, including seven league games, as well as two defeats in the Champions League and a Carabao Cup fourth-round elimination. That is more defeats than in Slot's entire first season, when his charges suffered nine reverses in 56 games across all competitions.
Bournemouth v Liverpool - Premier League
Arne Slot is in danger of losing his job as Liverpool manager (Image: Getty)
The Reds will be hoping to secure a top-eight finish in Europe, and avoid a two-legged knockout playoff next month, this midweek when they face Qarabag at Anfield. They realistically cannot finish any higher than third but only three points separate them and 15th-placed Juventus.
One player unlikely to play any part against Qarabag is centre-back Joe Gomez, who went off injured in the first half at Bournemouth. Slot explained: "Joe got a knock from Ali [Alisson Becker]. His knee went into… I think it was bone on bone. He was just not able to continue and Ali had quite a swelling in his knee.
"I don't know if Joe is going to train in two or three days, that is difficult for me to say, but it was clear he could not go on today." Milos Kerkez was substituted at half-time for Andy Robertson but Slot confirmed the reasoning was to manage the Hungarian's workload.
Robertson, 31, has been linked with a surprise January move to Tottenham. The Scottish vice-captain is said to be keen to join Spurs after nine years at Anfield so that he can play more regularly before the World Cup this summer.
Asked about Robertson's future, a coy Slot replied: "What do you think my answer is going to be? Have I ever said anything about transfers in front of these microphones? My answer is always the same and it's quite boring to always give the same answer... we don't talk about transfers in public."