Alonso's Liverpool Shopping List Emerges as Slot's Future Hangs in Balance

The Xabi Alonso-to-Liverpool rumour mill is churning at full throttle, with reports emerging from Spain suggesting the Basque coach has the framework of a deal in place to take over at Anfield come summer.

According to these claims, Alonso is keen to reunite with familiar faces from his Bayer Leverkusen days—specifically Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong—while also pushing for a move for Real Madrid's Arda Guler. The 20-year-old attacking midfielder, who proved crucial to Alonso's early work in the Spanish capital, would reportedly be enticed by substantial wages and assurances of regular football.

Atletico Madrid's Marc Pubill is another name on the wish list, with Liverpool apparently prepared to back another substantial transfer spend to overhaul the squad.

The context here is straightforward: Arne Slot's first season was a runaway Premier League title success, backed by over £400m in summer recruitment. This term, however, has been a different animal entirely. The Reds sit fifth, their Champions League hopes increasingly precarious, and the pressure on Slot has mounted visibly.

Yet before we start drafting Alonso's welcome speech, a dose of reality is required. Lewis Steele of the Daily Mail flatly contradicts the Spanish narrative, insisting there is no agreement whatsoever between Alonso and Liverpool. The club, he maintains, are actively backing Slot—at least for the present moment.

Steele does acknowledge industry chatter suggesting Alonso remains attainable this summer, and notes that Manchester City's managerial situation adds another layer of complexity to any potential move. The inference is clear: if Liverpool don't move decisively, other suitors will.

David Ornstein of The Athletic has gone further still, reporting that Liverpool have given no consideration to a managerial change. The club's plan, he suggests, is to stick with Slot and construct a squad capable of delivering success. Despite the season's poor returns—both in results and performances—Liverpool's hierarchy view Slot as the right man for the job, particularly given his pedigree from last season's title triumph.

Ornstein emphasised that Slot will play a central role in recruitment decisions going forward, and that Liverpool's focus remains on providing him with the personnel to compete at the highest level.