Xabi Alonso is targeting a move for Real Madrid attacker Arda Guler if he becomes Liverpool’s manager, seeing him as a strong replacement for Mohamed Salah.
Salah has confirmed that his time at Anfield will reach its conclusion this summer, sending a heartwarming message to the supporters last week, saying:
“Hello, everyone. Unfortunately, the day has come. This is the first part of my farewell. I will be leaving Liverpool at the end of this season. I wanted to start by saying that I never imagined how deeply this club, this city, these people, would become part of my life.
“Liverpool is not just a football club. It’s a passion, it’s a history, it’s a spirit. I can’t explain in words to anyone not part of this club. We celebrated victory. We won the most important trophies, and we fought together through the hardest time in our life. I want to thank everyone who was part of this club throughout my time here, especially the teammates, past and present.”
Liverpool must now try and find the perfect successor to Salah ahead of next season, and according to a report from Spanish publication Sport, Alonso wants to sign Guler if he replaces Slot in charge of the Reds.
He rates the 21-year-old from his time in charge of Madrid, but it won’t be easy for the Premier League champions, with the Spanish giants keen to keep hold of him.
Arda Guler a hugely exciting summer option for Liverpool
Guler is a huge talent, already bagging 40 goal contributions in 106 appearances for Madrid and winning the Champions League in 2023/24.
The 27-cap and six-goal Turkey international possesses a wand-like left foot, often cutting in from the right wing like Salah, and while not necessarily as fast as the Egyptian, he can be a big threat there.
Guler is also capable of shining in a No. 10 role, adding more attacking depth to Liverpool’s squad, and there is very little not to like about him.
He and Dominik Szoboszlai have had on and off-field spats in the past, which isn’t ideal, but there is no reason why they couldn’t overcome that as teammates.