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Liverpool’s managerial situation will likely be speculated on for the entirety of the summer window, especially if Xabi Alonso remains available.
The Spaniard’s Liverpool legacy, combined with his coaching pedigree built at Bayer Leverkusen, has kept supporters dreaming about a potential reunion further down the line – and every time his name pops up in headlines, Reds fans take notice.
H left Real Madrid by mutual consent in January after a turbulent eight-month stint that ended with a Spanish Super Cup defeat to Barcelona.
Since then, he has been a free agent and consistently linked to Liverpool. However, according to the Athletic, the expectation is that Arne Slot will remain in the hotseat next season.
James Pearce has reported that “everything points” to the club sticking with Slot, and that even in 2024 there was a “misconception” that Alonso was the first-choice to replace Jurgen Klopp:
“Alonso has a close bond with Liverpool and supporters would rally behind him. He did brilliantly at Bayer Leverkusen but his turbulent reign at Real Madrid only lasted seven months. He doesn’t have the same body of work that Klopp had 11 years ago.”
“Currently, everything points to owner Fenway Sports Group sticking with Slot. If that position changes then Alonso would be a strong contender but contacts I’ve spoken to say there’s a misconception that the Spaniard was Liverpool’s first choice after Klopp stepped down two years ago.”
“They insist that Alonso wasn’t seriously considered because he had already made it clear he would be staying at Leverkusen for another season. Slot consistently came out on top in the different metrics Liverpool used in their data-led search for Klopp’s successor.”
It’s a revealing insight from Pearce, and one that pours cold water on the long-standing narrative that Alonso slipped through Liverpool’s fingers when Klopp departed.
By the sounds of it, the Reds’ hierarchy were always leaning toward Slot, and the data backed that decision up – even if the romantic pull of an Alonso return made it an easy story to run with at the time.
That doesn’t mean the door is closed forever, of course. Should Slot’s situation ever change down the line, Alonso would clearly be in the conversation given his ties to the club and the affection supporters still hold for him.