Ex-Red claims Xabi Alonso has 'desire' to coach Liverpool as pressure mounts on Arne Slot

With the former Liverpool midfielder is now unemployed and could attract some interest from the Anfield hierarchy amid Arne Slot's difficult second season which has seen scrutiny over his future grow

Steve McManaman believes Xabi Alonso would be interested in taking the Liverpool job(Image: )

Steve McManaman believes Xabi Alonso has a “desire” to be Liverpool head coach, but claims his departure from Real Madrid should not change the picture for Arne Slot.

Alonso left Los Blancos on Monday, just over 24 hours after losing the Spanish Super Cup final defeat against Barcelona. The former Liverpool midfielder was considered among the world’s top coaches when he led Bayer Leverkusen to an unprecedented Bundesliga triumph in 2023, but struggled with the locker room dynamics at Real.

It was widely reported that he endured a strained relationship with several key players, while Real is four points behind leaders Barcelona.

His Bernabeu exit has heightened the spotlight on Slot, who himself has been under immense pressure at Liverpool following an underwhelming defense of the Reds’ Premier League crown.

With the former Liverpool man now available, some may wonder whether Liverpool could be tempted by the prospect of an Anfield return for the 2005 Champions League winner.

“Certain people have already started talking about the form,” McManaman said when asked on TNT Sports about Slot’s situation.

Alonso has left Real Madrid with immediate effect.(Image: AFP or licensors)

“That will continue if Liverpool fail to show how good they are. It starts tonight [against Barnsley]. If they go and win comfortably, which we expect, they have Burnley at home. You would expect with their current situation in the league, that Liverpool should win. But against Wolves and Leeds they weren’t convincing.

“That’s life as a football manager; you are 90 minutes away from the pressure coming on your shoulders.

“The fact that Xabi is now available and his history with the club, would suggest there is always going to be pressure.

“But Xabi will be wanted by a number of clubs that he has worked at. I wouldn’t necessarily take it as pressure for Arne Slot because he already has pressure on himself.”

McManaman feels Alonso would be keen to join Liverpool one day(Image: Getty Images)

McManaman, the former Real midfielder, added, “Xabi had a clause in his contract at Leverkusen that he could talk to a lot of his ex-teams that he played for, and Manchester City, that was public knowledge.

“There must be a desire in his mind that he would like to manage here but I don’t think that should have any bearing on the current manager.

“He’s a young manager, Xabi, he can have another 25 years in the business if he wants to. So it could be right further down the line.”