Liverpool have reportedly contacted Real Madrid about Xabi Alonso rather than announcing any managerial change, and that detail matters. The club are also being linked with giving Arne Slot another season because of their doubts about Alonso. The outreach was described as Liverpool trying to find out what happened during Alonso's time at Real Madrid, which is hardly the language of a club ready to rip everything up. It is closer to due diligence, but it still says plenty about where the thinking is headed.

Why Liverpool are checking Alonso now

The football case for the contact is not hard to see. Liverpool sit fourth in the Premier League with 59 points from 36 games, and they are set to go trophyless despite spending upwards of €400m last summer. They also exited the Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup early. That is the basic problem for Slot, because it is difficult to sell continuity after a season that has left the club short in the league and empty in the cups.

The recent form has not helped either. Liverpool's last five results are DLWWW, which is mixed rather than convincing. They have also been linked with the idea of keeping Slot for another season, which is why this story should not be read as a done deal either way. The contact on Alonso suggests review, not resolution.

Why the Alonso question is still open

There is another layer here, and it is the one that stops this from becoming a simple succession story. A source close to Chelsea has said "the job is his if he wants it", which keeps another destination in play. So while Liverpool are doing their checks, they are not operating in a vacuum.

That uncertainty is the real point. Liverpool appear to be weighing whether Arne Slot deserves another year, while also sounding out Xabi Alonso's background and options. The evidence in the brief points to a club that has not settled on its next move yet, only a club that is no longer comfortable pretending everything is fine. If the line from here is decided, it will come after more of that due diligence, not before it.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 7 outlets. How we work →