Liverpool in advanced discussions to hire manager praised as “exceptional” by Klopp

 

 

Liverpool have reportedly held encouraging discussions regarding a potential replacement for Arne Slot, who has received praise from Jurgen Klopp. While the Reds have shown signs of improvement since late November, their 13-game unbeaten streak ended abruptly on Saturday as AFC Bournemouth secured a dramatic 3-2 victory. Amine Adli scored a stoppage-time winner, giving both Chelsea and Manchester United the chance to overtake Liverpool in the Premier League table if they win their games in hand.

Although Liverpool have become harder to beat, their previous four league matches had ended in draws—a concerning trend, especially against newly promoted sides Leeds United and Burnley. Former midfielder Danny Murphy has suggested that FSG should be evaluating potential replacements for Slot, given the team’s underwhelming performance this season despite significant summer spending. He commented: “The Liverpool hierarchy would be naive not to be assessing other options, because the fan base is discontent, the form isn’t great, the expectation is high, the money they’ve spent.”

According to reports from Spain, Liverpool have indeed initiated talks to bring in Xabi Alonso, even consulting the former Real Madrid manager’s agents to gauge his interest. FSG are reportedly concerned about Slot’s inconsistency and recent results, making Alonso the frontrunner for the job.

The Reds have long admired Alonso, who could provide a steady hand to replace the Dutch coach. Despite his short-lived stint at Real Madrid ending in dismissal earlier this month, Alonso impressed at Bayer Leverkusen, where Klopp praised his tactical acumen and leadership: “[He is a] former world-class player, from a coaching family as well…he was like a coach already when he was playing. The football he is playing, the teams he sets up, the transfers he did, it is absolutely exceptional.”

During his time in Germany, Alonso led Leverkusen to an unbeaten 2023-24 Bundesliga title, won the DFB-Pokal, and guided the team to the Europa League final. Having outperformed expectations and dethroned Bayern Munich, Alonso could have what it takes to challenge Manchester City and Arsenal in next season’s Premier League title race, making him a promising candidate to succeed Slot.