England legend Gary Lineker believes there is a good chance that Xabi Alonso will replace Arne Slot at Liverpool at the end of the season.
Patience is wearing thin with Slot for so many Reds supporters, and for some, they have already had enough and want a change in the dugout.
Granted, three Premier League wins in a row had steadied the ship for the Dutchman, but the performances remained unconvincing and Sunday’s 3-2 defeat away to Manchester United was unacceptable in parts.
While some recent claims have stated that Slot is still expected to stay on as Liverpool’s head coach beyond the summer, it still isn’t a guarantee, with FSG having a massive decision to make.
Speaking on The Rest Is Football [via SportsView], the respected Lineker talked up the idea of Alonso taking Slot’s place, having been a leading contender to replace him for some time:
“Would Slot be there next season?”
‘Eleven defeats in the Premier League, still in the Champions League positions. I wouldn’t be surprised if Xabi Alonso was there next season.”
Can Arne Slot turn things around at Liverpool?
Despite many wanting to see Slot sacked in the summer, there are still plenty who believe that he should get more time to turn things around, having won the Premier League title last season.
There are merits to that argument, with Diogo Jota’s tragic death last summer a terrible thing for Slot and his players to go through, while injuries to key players also haven’t helped.
But there have been too many negatives on show all season long, with Liverpool lacking the fitness, organisation and winning mentality that they did last term.
It all feels too much like the end of Brendan Rodgers’ reign, with the Northern Irishman floundering a year after so nearly winning the league, and keeping Slot would be a huge risk.
It is easy to envisage Liverpool starting the 2026/27 campaign slowly, with calls for the 47-year-old to be sacked coming in the autumn, and with Alonso available, making a move for him in the summer makes perfect sense.
Slot overcoming this slump and guiding the Reds to future trophies would be a lovely story, and a victory for loyalty, but that feels a long way off right now.