Xabi Alonso to Liverpool: Update today after Arne Slot sack update
Liverpool are considering Xabi Alonso among a number of big-name managers who could step in if they are forced to sack Arne Slot sooner than expected.
Slot’s side lost 3-2 to Bournemouth last time out, and have now won just five or their last 18 Premier League games, piling pressure on the manager’s position.
Former Man United chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider that Alonso would be a popular choice given his connections to Liverpool from his playing days.
Meanwhile, he has a number of admirers for his work with Bayer Leverkusen where he led them to an invincible Bundesliga season and DFB-Pokal success.
Alonso was sacked by Real Madrid after defeat to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final, in what has been a disappointing season so far, but could step straight back in.
Liverpool set sights on Xabi Alonso appointment
Alonso has been linked with the Liverpool job since his departure from Real Madrid, and there is a growing feeling he will be high on their list of targets.
Slot remains under intense pressure at Anfield with the crowd now beginning to turn on him, and failure to turn around their recent form could see him dismissed.
“Xabi Alonso is going to be on Liverpool’s list,” Brown told Football Insider.
“He’s very highly rated and very well thought of after his time there as a player.
“A lot of people were impressed by what he has done as a manager, especially the success he had with Bayer Leverkusen, maybe not so much with Real Madrid.
“Liverpool will have a big decision to make with Slot, because sacking him would mean they would have to go out and find a replacement who is good enough.
“They’ll be looking at who might be available and making a list of options to see who could step in and have success, because that’s what Slot has done.
“Alonso will certainly be a contender because of the reasons I’ve just explained, I think it would make a lot of sense, but they have to be sure he’s the right man for the job.”
Arne Slot sack update emerges at Liverpool
Brown told Football Insider on 26 January that Liverpool could be forced to sack Slot if results don’t improve, although he is not the only person to blame.
There is a belief that he has also been thrown under the bus by his players, with fingers pointed at his defensive players including the captain Virgil van Dijk.
Both Van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate have made costly mistakes this season and the Reds no longer have a stable defensive foundation upon which to build their success.
Football Insider exclusively revealed that Slot will be sacked by Liverpool if they fail to qualify for the Champions League, but they hope to stick by him for now.
The Reds are currently sixth in the Premier League and have been leapfrogged by rivals Man United and Chelsea as a result of their dismal recent form.
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