Liverpool’s stance on replacing Arne Slot with Chelsea target Xabi Alonso now shared
Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version from Rousing the Kop or go back to LFC Live.
Liverpool suffered more disappointment against Chelsea over the weekend, and the mood around Anfield is low.Fans are really unhappy with Arne Slot, who is even managing to make securing fifth place in the Premier League look like a difficult task.Liverpool are lacking any sort of identity, the football is poor, and Slot has shown no signs in 2025/26 that he can turn this around. Yet, the Reds do not want to sack the Dutchman and are now looking at Xabi Alonso.
Give us your predictions for Liverpool’s crucial trip to Villa Park this Friday Will the Reds finally secure Champions League qualification? Photo Credit: Getty Images/Paul Ellis/AFP Liverpool have been linked to Alonso for a while now, and those rumours have not gone away with the Spaniard out of work since the beginning of 2026.The ex-midfielder enjoyed much success in the Bundesliga at Bayer Leverkusen, and while his brief spell at Real Madrid did not go to plan, he has still proven himself a top manager in Germany.However, speaking on Monday night as shared on his Instagram page, Ornstein stated that Liverpool are not looking at Alonso and are instead planning to stick with Slot.He said: “Within the last hour, I have reported that Chelsea are exploring a deal to appoint Xabi Alonso as their next head coach.“It was suggested by many that he would be a strong contender, and he would appear to be at the forefront.
As I understand it, Xabi Alonso is open to this possibility, although nothing at this point has been decided, and the process at Chelsea is ongoing.“Talking of Xabi Alonso, he has for some time now, years, been heavily linked with the Liverpool head coach position post Jurgen Klopp, but it went to Arne Slot, and even now, with many fans clamoring for him to return to Anfield where he had such a successful playing career, but my information is that Xabi Alonso is not under consideration at Liverpool at all, and that Liverpool fully intend to go into next season with Arne Slot as their head coach.” If Xabi Alonso goes to Chelsea, who should be Liverpool’s next manager? Credit: Haitham AL-SHUKAIRI/AFP/Getty Images So, with Chelsea interested in Alonso and the manager keen, it could be the case that one top coach will already be off the market before 2025/26 ends.This is the problem Liverpool are going to have if they really are determined to stick with Slot.After a full campaign, minus two games, the Reds arguably look worse than they did last August.The fanbase seems completely disillusioned with their manager as well, and winning them back will be a serious challenge.But if Slot fails to improve the standards at Anfield, which at the moment seems likely, he will probably have to be removed later in 2026 anyway.However, as we are already seeing with Alonso, this will likely come at a time when a lot of the top managers are already off the market.Join Our NewsletterReceive a digest of our best Liverpool content each week direct to your mailbox