Why Xabi Alonso should be pleased with Mohamed Salah leaving if he takes over - opinion
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Xabi Alonso has been mooted to become the next Liverpool manager for some time now.Alonso’s links to his former club have persisted during what has been a difficult campaign for Arne Slot.It remains to be seen if Slot will be in charge next season, but if the Spaniard does take the reins, the departure of Mohamed Salah will make his transition into a back-three formation much easier. Is Mohamed Salah Liverpool’s greatest EVER player?
Nine years of sheer brilliance are coming to an end… Photo Credit: Getty Images/Stuart Franklin – UEFA/Michael Regan Liverpool having no standout wingers is good for Xabi Alonso’s systemDuring his time as a senior manager, Alonso has had mixed spells with Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid.In Germany, the former midfielder cemented himself as one of the brightest coaches in Europe when he beat Bayern Munich to the Bundesliga title.He did so while playing the majority of games with some variation of a 3-4-2-1 or 3-5-2 and, of course, had now Liverpool talents Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong to call upon.Alonso then moved to Real Madrid at the beginning of 2025/26, and his fortunes were mixed, struggling to take charge of a team full of superstars.Yet, even though Los Blancos were not built for it, the manager still tried to play a 3-5-2 on a few occasions, including in Club World Cup meetings with Juventus and RB Salzburg. Will Xabi Alonso be Liverpool manager by the start of the 2026/27 season?
If no, where will he be instead? Photo Credit: Getty Images/Alberto Gardin/NurPhoto So, should he indeed replace Slot in the summer, it seems obvious that Alonso will want Liverpool to play a back-three/five, especially given the Reds now have two of his most influential Leverkusen stars in Wirtz and Frimpong.Had Salah stayed beyond 2026, though, it would have been hard to fit the Egyptian into the XI while playing the system he wants, as the 33-year-old obviously isn’t a wing-back and has never been a natural striker.But now the club icon is going, there are no standout wingers left at the club, with the likes of Cody Gakpo and Federico Chiesa very easily replaceable.In turn, Alonso would have no problem quickly switching to a two-man strike force and using wing-backs like his ex-player Frimpong to provide the width.Join Our NewsletterReceive a digest of our best Liverpool content each week direct to your mailbox