Xabi Alonso has only one decision to make over Chelsea interest amid Liverpool wait
Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version from Echo or go back to LFC Live.
The same Kylian Mbappe who is the subject of a petition from Real Madrid fans insisting he leaves.Alonso had a 71 win-percentage with a team that now has players fighting each other, a team that has just been beaten by champions Barcelona, who now have FOURTEEN more points than Real.READ MORE: Ibrahima Konate contract latest and what it could mean for Liverpool transfer approachREAD MORE: Joe Gomez makes Liverpool future admission after Reds transfer agreementNo, it is fair to say his cameo in Madrid has done no harm to Alonso’s standing in the game. And the job he did at Bayer Leverkusen only looks even more remarkable now that Bayern Munich have quickly re-established dominance.When he went to Madrid, Alonso walked into a club that many suspected was heading for one of its dysfunctional phases.
All the vibes suggest Arne Slot will start next season as manager but if the unthinkable happened and Champions League qualification somehow eluded Liverpool, it is hard to see the Dutchman being reprieved.It goes without saying that Alonso would be a very warm favourite to get the job if Slot was dismissed and that will probably be the case whenever the Liverpool job comes up. But if Alonso was offered and took the Chelsea job, it would certainly diminish his suitability for the Liverpool post in the future.The 44-year-old would also have to consider how the Chelsea fanbase would take to him, in light of his strong affiliation with Liverpool.And it is hard to imagine him wanting to be in some sort of beauty contest with the likes of Andoni Iraola and Cesc Fabregas.Alonso is a dynamic, relatively young manager.
He can’t be expected to simply wait around and hope the Liverpool job comes up.But he should bide his time. Let’s be brutally honest, if Slot is still at Liverpool at the beginning of next season, he will be under pressure from day one.With the Liverpool role occupied, Alonso will be made alternative offers that will be hard to resist.