Pundits from all quarters said Arne Slott had guided Liverpool to the Premier League title with the perfect ease of an experienced coach in the English game.
In reality, the Reds were called off after manager Jurgen Klopp’s shocking mic drop, but doubts grew after FSG’s rebrand failed to produce an exciting transfer result in the summer of 2024 for rookie Slott, who had previously only managed in his native Netherlands.
The 2025/26 season marks a tough and solemn change for the Dutch manager, whose champion side has been strengthened by big summer signings.
Liverpool had been in their shell, but they have found their form over the past month and are unbeaten in 11 games in all competitions, compared to previously losing an astonishing nine out of 12.
Still, Slott’s position at the helm is far from secure.
Latest information on Arne Slott’s position at Liverpool
Slott have built up a realistic unbeaten record over the last month and are currently fourth in the Premier League, having risen to mid-table earlier on.
Still, much remains to be desired, with sources including The Athletic suggesting that further deterioration in results and a further deterioration of the mood on Merseyside could make his tenure as manager unsustainable.
Team Talk sources believe that Xabi Alonso, who left his post at Real Madrid this week after a tumultuous six months, could be his successor.
The report stresses that FSG is willing to enter into negotiations with the 44-year-old’s agent when the right opportunity arises.
This has been corroborated to some extent by The Athletic, and it’s worth remembering that Alonso, who has deep links with Liverpool, was in contention for the slot after Klopp made his decision in early 2024, before opting to spend another season at Bayer Leverkusen.
Why FSG wants to appoint Alonso
Alonso was caught between pressure and expectations at Real Madrid and left midway through his first term.
Ask Florian Wirtz or Jeremy Frimpong about this master tactician, and much of his aptitude will become clear. Liverpool’s £116m manager once said: “It’s great to have a legend as manager.”
The symbiotic process of tactics and player-coach relationships has paid huge dividends for Leverkusen. Everyone was rewarded. The German club won their first Bundesliga title as an invincible force and also stormed to the DFB Pokal title. This sealed that side’s immortal position in the Rhineland.
His departure from the Santiago Bernabéu, where he preferred a 4-3-2-1 or 4-3-3 formation, says more about Madrid’s culture and (unreasonable) demands than his coaching. And in Liverpool, the Spanish icon will find a city, fan base and team more suited to his philosophy.
Arne Slott at Liverpool (2024 vs 2025) | ||
|---|---|---|
2024 | # | 2025 |
27 | game | 56 |
twenty three | victory | 30 |
3 | draw | 10 |
1 | loss | 16 |
2.66 | PPG | 1.79 |
73 | Number of points scored | 98 |
27 | Number of goals conceded | 71 |
Dates via Transfermarkt | ||
What is clear is that Slott’s decline as Liverpool manager predates the start of the 2025/26 season. The Reds were a little shaky towards the end of last season, lacking the all-consuming energy and sharpness that soared through the Premier League in the early months of Slott’s reign.
That is no longer the case and if a rise is not registered soon, Alonso may receive a call and an invitation to make an emotional reunion with the Anfield club.
A manager’s managerial marriage with the club feels doomed, but Alonso certainly won’t be hanging around for the Reds and sporting director Richard Hughes could be forced to make a difficult decision.
At Real Madrid, Alonso was caught between a rock and a hard place. They could have pushed their way through the hard-packed ground, but it was clear that their time was limited.
Instead, he will retire and now wait for the right role to come along. He will have no shortage of suitors.
Liverpool will certainly be at the front of the pack and FSG must now decide whether Slot is the man who can take Liverpool forward in the long term and consider whether this is an opportunity to overtake Liverpool.
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