(Credit: Imago)

Jack Dawson

Sat 14 March 2026 9:30, UK

Follow us on Google Discover

Xabi Alonso is now the heavy favourite to take over at Liverpool if Arne Slot is sacked.

The former Real Madrid boss has been linked to Anfield since his dismissal at the Spanish giants in January.

However, his appointment at the Reds now looks more likely than ever as the Merseyside club’s form continues to decline.

Now, one bookmaker has placed Alonso as the odds-on favourite to become the next Liverpool manager at 1/3, with Oddschecker on 13 March confirming that these odds have been slashed.

Xabi Alonso’s managerial career explained

Despite being Real Madrid manager only months ago, Alonso has not been in the dugout for very long.

His first management job came in 2019 when he took over at Real Sociedad B, winning promotion to La Liga 2.

In 2022, Bayer Leverkusen took a chance on the Spaniard, with the club bottom of the Bundesliga after eight matches.

Despite this difficult start, he guided them to a sixth-place finish and a Europa League semi-final.

However, it was the 2023-24 campaign where things really started to click as Leverkusen won the Bundesliga title unbeaten, the first club in the division’s history to do so.

28 wins
6 draws
0 defeats

Bayer Leverkusen have gone the whole Bundesliga season unbeaten. Xabi Alonso has achieved the impossible. pic.twitter.com/cy5QYkVSmR

— Out of Context Football Manager (@nocontextfm1) May 18, 2024

On top of this, he also lifted the DFB-Pokal and reached the final of the Europa League.

While his final season was not as successful, he still managed to second place finish before leaving for Real Madrid in the summer.

His time at his former club did not go smoothly, with Madrid struggling in the Champions League and La Liga, which eventually resulted in his dismissal.

However, thanks to his success at Leverkusen, his stature has remained largely untouched in the management world.

Who else is linked to the Liverpool job?

With Football Insider confirming that Slot is facing growing questions at Liverpool after the Galatasaray defeat, a change in the dugout could be just around the corner.

As a result, while Alonso may be the comfortable favourite if the Dutchman is sacked, the bookies believe that many others will be considered.

Luis Enrique is the second favourite for the post at 6/1, while a return for Jurgen Klopp is not ruled out at 8/1.

Potential outsiders also include Oliver Glasner and Julian Nagelsmann at 11/1 and 12/1.

However, it remains to be seen who Liverpool will opt to appoint if Slot is booted out of the door.