JUST as Arne Slot started to stabilise his Liverpool reign, the ground may have begun to shift under his feet.
knew when he took the job that he was at best the second choice to succeed .
Arne Slot seemed to have just found his feet again at LiverpoolCredit: Reuters
But Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid departure may have flipped the boardCredit: AFP
First on the Liverpool list was .
A winner in red, whose managerial stock had soared in his spell at .
It was only when the Spaniard committed his future to the side that the Anfield outfit turned to Slot.
They were rewarded by the Dutchman leading what was effectively Klopp’s squad to the Prem crown last season.
It meant that when Alonso did decide it was time for a new challenge, there was no way that Liverpool could even consider seeking to lure him to Merseyside.
In all probability, Madrid would have had first call in any event.
After all, his five years as a player at the Bernabeu meant he was as identified with Real, if not more so, then Liverpool.
Nobody would have envisaged that, after barely six months, Alonso would have been sent spinning out of the Madrid hotseat, replaced by former Anfield team-mate Alvaro Arbeloa, while Slot would have spent the thick end of £450million to make Liverpool far, far worse.
Alonso’s reign in has seen a series of private and public fall-outs with his senior stars, Brazilian Vinicius Jr in particular.
Support from Real President evaporated swiftly as it became clear that the Madrid squad, used to the hands-off leadership of , were rebelling against the intensity of the Alonso regime.
It was a surprise when rumours of his imminent dismissal before last month’s Champions League defeat by failed to materialise.
But losing the Spanish Super Cup Final to of all clubs in – the 3-2 scoreline was not a true reflection of the Catalan side’s superiority – was the final straw, especially with the Nou Camp outfit four clear at the top of LaLiga.
Yet it is hard to believe Alonso will be out of a job for long.
That Leverkusen season, ending Bayern Munich’s decade of dominance, and the belief he built in a side including and , was the sign of a man with a plan – and the courage to implement it.
Which is where Slot’s position has suddenly become less secure.
Liverpool committed £116m to land Wirtz and expect the manager should make the German schemer tick.
Alonso has demonstrated he can do it.
He knows the Premier League, too.
And now, if Liverpool are considering a change, he is available for nothing.
Betfair - Next Permanent Liverpool Manager Odds
Xabi Alonso's odds of becoming the next Liverpool manager have been slashed after his dramatic Real Madrid exit:
- Xabi Alonso 5/4
- Julian Nagelsmann 7/1
- Jurgen Klopp 11/2
- Luis Enrique 6/1
- Andoni Iraola 7/1
- Oliver Glasner 15/2
- Steven Gerrard 12/1
- Unai Emery 10/1
- Zinedine Zidane 12/1
- Marco Silva 14/1
- Xavi 14/1
- Simone Inzaghi 14/1
- Cesc Fabregas 16/1
- Brendan Rodgers 16/1
- Diego Simone 16/1
- Mauricio Pochettino 25/1
- Ange Postecoglou 25/1
- Ruben Amorim 28/1
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Eze Chidiebere Paul
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