Xabi Alonso 'would pick Liverpool' as Man City told Pep Guardiola plan could fail

Manchester City is reportedly eyeing up Xabi Alonso as a potential successor to Pep Guardiola, but the Etihad club has been told its plans could be foiled by Liverpool

Xabi Alonso has been earmarked as a potential successor for Pep Guardiola(Image: 2025 Getty Images)

Arsenal legend Emmanuel Petit reckons Xabi Alonso would opt for Liverpool ahead of taking over from Pep Guardiola at Manchester City. Alonso is currently without a club after being dismissed by Real Madrid last month.

The Spaniard has been touted as a possible replacement for Guardiola, should the Catalan decide to leave the Etihad Stadium when his contract expires in 2027 or earlier. Recent reports suggested there is an "extremely strong chance" of Guardiola leaving this year, despite his contract running beyond that date.

In that scenario, City could approach Alonso, considering his previous associations with the Etihad hotseat. Meanwhile, with Arne Slot also experiencing a troubled Premier League title defense at Liverpool, the Spaniard has been mentioned as a potential candidate for Anfield.

Should both Liverpool and City compete for Alonso's services, Petit is convinced Alonso would head back to the club where he lifted the Champions League trophy.

Speaking to Ignition Casino, Petit said: "If Xabi Alonso has the chance to come back to Liverpool, even if the door is open at Man City, I'm pretty sure he would join Liverpool.

"He has a connection to Liverpool. He's been a player over there and he won trophies over there. He failed at Real Madrid but that has been the case for many managers over there.

"I think if he has the chance to join the Premier League, Liverpool would be the perfect club for him. It's like Mikel Arteta's connection to Arsenal, it would mean he wouldn't consider joining Manchester City even when Pep Guardiola leaves."

The Times has reported that rival Premier League managers and executives believe Guardiola is in his final season at Manchester. The City boss has repeatedly dismissed such speculation.

When questioned about his future in January, he stated: "I have a contract. I said a thousand million times. It's 10 years here. I will leave one day, but I have a contract."

Guardiola has insisted he wants to see out his contract at City, which expires in 2027(Image: 2026 James Gill - Danehouse)

He offered a comparable response to another enquiry regarding his tenure at City, saying: "I have one more year on my contract.

"The question of that is [the same as] one or two months ago, but I will tell you again that it is the same answer."

The Times has also suggested Alonso would welcome a switch to the Premier League, though he's content to delay any decision until the summer.