Adam Crafton of The Athletic has revealed that he expects Xabi Alonso to be the frontrunner for the job if Liverpool decide to sack manager Arne Slott at the end of the season.
The Spaniard, who remains a much-loved player at Anfield during his playing days, is widely believed to be open to a return to Merseyside despite his recent spell at Real Madrid.
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In the latest edition of The Athletic FC podcast, Crafton suggested the former midfielder was the obvious choice to lead the new era.
“I think he’ll probably take the job, but I’m sure he’ll be the candidate if they choose to let go of the slot,” he said.
Xabi Alonso, Liverpool’s frontrunner
The link with Alonso comes at a time when his manager’s stock remains high despite a difficult five-month spell at Real Madrid briefly ending in January.
Prior to his time in Spain, Alonso achieved legendary status at Bayer Leverkusen, leading the German team to an historic unbeaten domestic double in 2024.
Some reports suggest that Alonso could already be verbally agreed to take over on a three-year contract from June 2026, as long as Liverpool’s current campaign continues to slump.
Many fans see Alonso as Jurgen Klopp’s successor, both tactically and emotionally, and believe his “extraordinary” coaching pedigree is exactly what Liverpool’s ragtag team need.
Furthermore, the presence of former Bayer Leverkusen stars Florian Wirtz and Jeremy Frimpong could be an incentive for all parties to make the reunion happen.
Liverpool may sack manager Slott at the end of the season
Arne Slott won the Premier League title in his debut season and has learned to be patient, but this season has been a huge disappointment.
Liverpool currently sit in 6th place with nine defeats in the league. The recent draw with Tottenham was the latest warning, with manager Dominik Szoboszlai saying the club could miss out on European qualification if they do not improve.
They also face an important relief task in tomorrow’s Champions League match against Galatasaray after losing 1-0 in the first leg last week.
Crafton acknowledged the difficulty of the situation, noting that Slott had just won a league championship and the decision to fire him after a year was a difficult one. However, he said his dismissal was “very likely”.
But if Liverpool fail to qualify for next season’s Champions League, the division may feel they have to pull the trigger to avoid a long-term slump.
With Alonso currently out of work and waiting to hear back, the pressure on the slot is higher than ever.
