Pundit can see Xabi Alonso taking over Liverpool in summer

Liverpool could be poised for a dug-out shake-up, with respected television analyst and former Germany international Didi Hamann predicting that Xabi Alonso will emerge as the leading candidate to take charge at Anfield next season.

Hamann, long-time pundit and self-declared favourite commentator of Bayern Munich star Thomas Müller, told Casino Beats that Alonso’s deep-rooted bond with the Merseyside club makes a return plausible once the campaign closes.

“Xabi Alonso has got a special relationship with Liverpool and he’s only just been sacked by Real Madrid,” Hamann explained. “I’m not sure he wants to jump straight into the next job. If Alonso contemplates coming to Liverpool, I think he’d prefer to come in the summer. I don’t think there’ll be an issue there.”

The remarks arrive amid mounting scrutiny of current head coach Arne Slot. Hamann believes whispers of negotiations with Alonso can only undermine the Dutchman, adding that a broader malaise appears to have enveloped the club.

“For Slot, once the reports are out there that talks with Alonso are happening, it’s obviously not good for him,” he said. “The whole club seems to be a bit disillusioned to me. How much is it his fault? I do not know, but I think it’s a situation that isn’t sustainable for long.”

Liverpool invested heavily in the squad after reclaiming the Premier League title, yet find themselves battling for a top-four or top-five finish rather than contesting another championship. Hamann attributes the slide to a shortfall in physicality better suited to European nights than domestic warfare.

“They spent all that money. They won the league. Everybody was hoping they would give it a good go again to win the Premier League and maybe win the Champions League,” he noted. “At the moment they probably only have a good chance to finish in the top four or five. The team lacks physicality and is not suited to the Premier League.”

Despite domestic inconsistency, Hamann still rates Liverpool as a viable contender in this season’s Champions League, though he concedes the managerial question casts a long shadow.

“At the moment, I think there’s a good chance that Liverpool will have a new manager next season,” he concluded.

Alonso’s brief tenure at Real Madrid ended in dismissal after tactical differences with the dressing-room hierarchy. A move back to familiar territory at Anfield could offer the Spaniard an immediate route to revive his coaching reputation.

With the summer window approaching, all eyes on Merseyside now turn to whether the club’s hierarchy will act on their reputed interest and bring a former fan favourite into the managerial hot-seat.