Xabi Alonso On Liverpool’s Radar As Arne Slot Faces Axe

Liverpool’s hierarchy has begun its end-of-season review weeks ahead of schedule, and the name echoing around Anfield is not the current manager’s. After a turbulent 2025-26 campaign that delivered flashes of brilliance but far too many damaging slips, Fenway Sports Group is weighing whether to part company with Arne Slot only twelve months after he succeeded Jürgen Klopp.

Slot arrived lauded for a progressive, possession-based style honed at Feyenoord, yet the Premier League’s relentless tempo repeatedly exposed gaps in his tactical armoury. Heavy-metal football proved hard to replicate: Liverpool dazzled against mid-table opposition but looked brittle in the defining fixtures, ultimately finishing closer to the Europa League places than the title race. The data-driven American owners, convinced that the points tally under-performed both wage bill and underlying metrics, have opened the door to a swift managerial reset.

While board members deliberate behind closed doors, supporters have delivered an unequivocal public verdict. Chants for Xabi Alonso have rolled down the Kop in recent weeks, a spontaneous campaign for the 43-year-old who lifted the Champions League trophy inside the same stadium in 2005. Since retiring, Alonso has overseen a stunning transformation at Bayer Leverkusen, turning the unfancied German club into a European powerhouse capable of outwitting Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.

His tactical acumen, emotional intelligence and deep bond with Liverpool supporters make him the fans’ dream appointment. Yet timing is delicate. Arsenal are monitoring Alonso’s situation should Mikel Arteta exit in the summer, while other heavyweight suitors are circling. Any hesitation could see Liverpool miss out on the hottest coaching commodity in world football.

Inside the dressing-room, uncertainty is already unsettling player morale. With the summer transfer window looming, recruitment staff face the awkward task of selling a project whose architect may change. Rivals such as City and Arsenal are finalising expansive war-chests; Liverpool can ill-afford weeks of limbo.

FSG must balance optics with ambition. Sacking a manager after a single season risks appearing unstable, yet allowing Alonso to join a competitor might be judged an even greater failure. Sources expect the review to conclude within a fortnight. If the decision is to move on from Slot, negotiations for Alonso will accelerate rapidly, driven by fan pressure and the fear of losing a generational coach.

For now, Merseyside waits. The stands have delivered their statement; the boardroom must decide whether to answer.