Xabi Alonso 'ready to accept' Liverpool job as Michael Edwards contact emerges

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Xabi Alonso has been frequently linked with the Liverpool job ever since he was fired by Real Madrid in January, with Arne Slot under increasing pressure at Anfield

Xabi Alonso continues to be linked with the Liverpool job(Image: Getty Images)

Xabi Alonso is reportedly ready to accept the Liverpool job if Arne Slot is relieved of his duties at the end of the season.

Slot is under increasing pressure from supporters after the Reds lost their 10th Premier League game of the campaign to Brighton over the weekend.

Alonso is the person who has been most heavily linked with replacing Slot in recent times, following his dismissal by Real Madrid earlier this year. Now, Sport Bild says that Liverpool has settled on the former Reds midfielder as the preferred candidate to take over from Slot.

Alonso is said to not be keen on taking the Liverpool job mid-season, which could explain why Slot remains in his position despite the disappointing results that the team has experienced.

The German outlet, though, says that Alonso's move will be confirmed no later than the summer, suggesting that he will be in charge at Anfield at the start of next season.

The report adds that Alonso was Liverpool CEO Michael Edwards' favored choice to replace Jurgen Klopp in 2024, but Alonso ultimately decided to stay at Leverkusen for one more year.

Edwards is said to have stayed in contact with Alonso, though — even during the 2024-25 season, when Slot won the Premier League during his first season in charge.

Alonso will reportedly seek assurances that his conditions for taking the Liverpool job will be met, after he is said to have not done so before taking the Real Madrid job, and ended up regretting it.

Arne Slot is under pressure(Image: Getty Images)

One of the biggest surprises about Slot's disappointing second season at Liverpool is that it has come after Liverpool spent a huge amount of money last summer.

Slot admitted after the weekend's loss to Brighton that this season has not been good enough.

"It makes complete sense if you win the league last season and you spent £450m that the expectations are high, and those expectations were high for the pundits, for the media, for me, for the fans," Slot said.

"At our club we're also looking at the situation and the challenge we had during this season, and then we might be a bit more realistic, why the season has gone why it is gone.

"But still it's not good enough no matter how much excuses I can come up with, it's still not good enough for the position you're in right now."