Xabi Alonso immediately rejected a job offer from Marseille, as the club is too chaotic for his liking.
The former Liverpool midfielder has been heavily linked with replacing Arne Slot at Anfield in the summer amid the Dutchman’s failure to defend the Reds’ Premier League title.
Slot won the title in his first season in charge but despite being granted £460m worth of new talent in the summer, his side has failed to defend it’s crown in one of the worst Premier League seasons in recent memory.
Arsenal, who are at risk of conceding their position as league leaders to Man City after a 2-2 draw with Wolves in midweek, have the fewest points of any league leading side at this stage of the season bar Leicester City in 2016.
Despite the dire state of the title race, Liverpool are 16 points behind the top spot.
Xabi Alonso rejects Marseille job offer
According to RMC Sport, Marseille offered Alonso the role of head coach after Roberto De Zerbi left the role. Sky Sports, however, claim that Alonso immediately rejected the job because he feels the club is “too chaotic.”
Xabi Alonso leaving Real Madrid says more about issues with the culture in the dressing room than his calibre as a head coach. Plenty of individual talent but little collectivity. Alonso showed his ability at Leverkusen. Plenty of elite clubs will want him when vacancies arise.
— Henry Winter (@henrywinter) January 13, 2026
The French club then appointed Habib Beye, who was fired from his role at Rennes just 10 days prior. Sporting director Medhi Benatia, who resigned from his role just two days before, returned to the club yesterday.
Benatia’s yo-yo behaviour underlines how little structure and consistency there is at Marseille and why Alonso, one of the most sought after coaches in Europe, wants nothing to do with the club.
Liverpool would offer drastically more stability and structure, but it’s not clear yet whether or not Slot will be in charge next season.
Slot and coaching staff face contract renewal reckoning
As things stand, the speculation around his post has diminished slightly but there remains a lot of work to do for the Dutchman to be assured of his job security beyond this season.
Wayne Rooney thinks Arne Slot's days at Liverpool could be numbered ??? pic.twitter.com/3GBaoM237q
— Prime Video Sport UK (@primevideosport) February 19, 2026
In the summer, Slot and his coaching staff will have just one year left on their contracts, and FSG will need to decide on renewing their terms.
FSG will be more than aware that it’s not only Slot and his coaching staff that hang in the balance – it’s Liverpool FC as a whole. Two years on from Jurgen Klopp, and there is little certainty available to those at Anfield.
Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk will also have a singular year left on their contracts in the summer and after spending £460m on new talent last summer, Liverpool need to be sure they are heading in the right direction with Slot.