**“It was suggested by many that he would be a strong contender, and he would appear to be at the forefront. As I understand it, Xabi Alonso is open to this possibility, although nothing at this point has been decided, and the process at Chelsea is ongoing.**
**“Talking of Xabi Alonso, he has for some time now – years – been heavily linked with the Liverpool head coach position post-Jurgen Klopp, but it went to Arne Slot.**
**“Even now, with many fans clamouring for him to return to Anfield where he had such a successful playing career, but my information is that Xabi Alonso is not under consideration at Liverpool at all, and that Liverpool fully intend to go into next season with Arne Slot as their head coach.”**
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Liverpool fans’ worst fears over Alonso may now be coming true
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This is precisely what many Reds supporters would’ve feared if FSG delayed over moving for Alonso – that another club (in this case a direct Premier League rival) would be more proactive and bring him in instead.
Of course, Chelsea’s pursuit is merely in the exploratory stages for now, so there’s no guarantee that the 44-year-old will be on the Stamford Bridge bench next season, but at the moment that seems a much likelier scenario than him returning to Anfield.
We don’t want Liverpool to go down the same road as the Blues in terms of churning through head coaches with indecent haste, but the thought of Alonso taking charge of the west Londoners while Slot is still labouring on Merseyside is sobering.
If FSG are adamant that they want to persist with the Dutchman, they desperately need that faith to be vindicated quickly. The Reds still need to ensure they’re in the Champions League for 2026/27, and a slow start to that campaign would make the 47-year-old’s job feel increasingly untenable.
Fate might offer the Anfield hierarchy a second chance on Alonso if Chelsea’s pursuit of him were to fail. If that were to happen, the powerbrokers in L4 surely can’t pass it up again.