Premier League-winning manager could replace Slott at Liverpool

Liverpool manager Arn Slott faces doubts about his future at Anfield following Saturday’s 4-0 defeat to Manchester City in the FA Cup quarter-finals.

Erling Haaland’s hat-trick helped the Reds suffer a heavy defeat at the Etihad, making it three defeats in their last five games in all competitions.

Slott have lost 16 games in all competitions this season but have won 25, which is down from just nine defeats in 56 games in 2024/25.

The Dutchman won the Premier League title in his first year at the club, replacing Jurgen Klopp in the dugout, but his second season at Anfield did not go to plan.

Liverpool are interested in replacing Slott ahead of the summer, with Andoni Iraola and Xabi Alonso two names being floated.

Liverpool could make surprise move for Premier League winners

However, there are question marks over the suitability of both Iraola and Alonso. The former has never won a major trophy in his managerial career, and Alonso has never managed in the Premier League before.

If the Reds choose to part ways with Slott at the end of this season, they will need to look for a player with experience managing in the league and regularly winning trophies.

Former Aston Villa and Everton chief executive Keith Wyness has suggested to Football Insider that manager Jurgen Klopp could make a surprise return to Liverpool.

“One of the interesting ideas someone gave me the other day was that Bonnie Prince Jurgen is waiting to come back across the ocean and take back the throne,” Wyness said.

“For me, it’s a bit fanciful, but you never know. In the world of football, we never know. And that rumor is spreading strongly in my network and it could be true.”

Football Insider added that Slott is expected to be released by the Reds in the summer, with Alonso seen as the frontrunner for the role, but that this claim about Klopp could add to the mix-up.

Why Liverpool should appoint Klopp again

Well, it must be said first that this is just a rumor at this point, and there are no concrete reports to suggest that the two sides are in talks or that Klopp is interested in returning.

However, if the stars align, the German head coach would be an even better appointment than Alonso given what he achieved with Liverpool in his first period.

Klopp decided to take time off at the end of the 2023/24 season, citing a “lack of energy”, but it was no surprise after almost nine seasons in the dugout.

Last month, Sky Sports pundit Robert Earnshaw suggested the German was open to talks about returning to the club after two years away from management.

The former Borussia Dortmund manager would be an even better appointment than Alonso if, as Wyness and Earnshaw previously suggested, Klopp is willing to leave his role as Red Bull’s head of global football to return to Anfield.

The highly experienced manager won the Premier League and Champions League titles during his time on Merseyside, and won two Bundesliga titles with Dortmund before his stay in England.

Alonso is still in the early stages of his managerial career so it may seem harsh to compare their achievements, but Klopp is a serial winner who knows how to win England’s biggest trophies as a manager.

It remains to be seen whether Alonso’s systems and tactics will translate to English football, especially after his spell at Real Madrid lasted less than a season following his move from Bayer Leverkusen.

Klopp has proven he can win trophies having managed in multiple countries, including England, and would be the perfect slot replacement should the club make changes this summer.

It remains to be seen whether there is a realistic chance of the German tactician making a surprise return to Anfield at the end of the season.