Fabrizio Romano drops Arne Slot truth bomb as Xabi Alonso awaits major Liverpool summer decision
Arne Slot’s position as Liverpool manager is under threat if the Reds fail to secure Champions League football, reports Fabrizio Romano.
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The Dutch head coach has struggled to replicate the success of his debut campaign in the Premier League, with the Merseysiders trailing outside of the top five.
Albeit, the reigning league champions are within touching distance of premium European spots, sitting two points behind Chelsea in fifth.
Is Arne Slot’s job at Liverpool safe?
There’s no question that Slot continues to hold some credit in the bank – thanks in no small part to his success in the 2024/25 season.
However, that patience isn’t considered limitless, particularly if Liverpool should fail to hold down a Champions League spot.
“For Arne Slot, the situation is quite clear: being in the Champions League next season is crucial for Liverpool,” Romano spoke on the Here We Go podcast.
“It will also help Arne Slot arriving toward the end of the season in a more relaxed situation with the club. Otherwise, if Liverpool aren’t in the Champions League next season, let’s see what kind of Champions League campaign they’ll enjoy.
“This could bring Liverpool into an important review for the summer. Now, the full focus is on the pitch, and the opportunity to win a trophy, of course, will be massive for Liverpool.
“Then in the summer, a review of the club. Let’s see if Liverpool will be in Champions League next season or not, and this will be one of the factors to decide on Arne Slot.
“So I expect the club at the end of the season to meet – owners, board, management, all together – to decide what they want to do.”
The Reds’ recent form has shown signs of life as far as the club’s domestic hopes are concerned, with four wins secured from their last five games.
| Liverpool’s last five results (in all competitions) |
| Liverpool 3-0 Brighton |
| Sunderland 0-1 Liverpool |
| Liverpool 1-2 Man City |
| Liverpool 4-1 Newcastle |
| Liverpool 6-0 Qarabag |
Could Xabi Alonso replace Arne Slot?
As a former favoured son at Liverpool Football Club – and a supremely accomplished head coach at 44 years of age – it’s far from surprising that Xabi Alonso’s name continues to be linked with the club.
| Xabi Alonso’s managerial record |
| 113 wins |
| 36 draws |
| 25 defeats |
| 387 goals scored |
| 193 goals conceded |
| 2.17 points per game |
* Xabi Alonso’s managerial record across spells with Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid (Transfermarkt)
Whilst Fabrizio Romano stopped short of specifically suggesting that Liverpool are keeping a close eye on the Spaniard ahead of the summer, it appears the free agent is actively assessing his options.
“It is true that Olympique Marseille, when Roberto De Zerbi decided to leave the club, tried to understand the situation of Xabi Alonso.
“Some people at the board of Marseille wanted to understand if Xabi was ready for this opportunity to become Marseille manager now. But my understanding is that Alonso wants to wait and wants to return as soon as possible – that’s 100% confirmed and guaranteed. He’s not going to take a long break.
“But now, Xabi Alonso is focused on different kinds of opportunities. He will wait for the managerial changes in the next months to understand if there could be the right opportunity.”
It remains to be seen, for instance, if both Arne Slot and Pep Guardiola will remain in their respective roles at two of England’s most decorated clubs in the last decade.
A domino effect elsewhere is certainly possible should Bayern Munich’s Vincent Kompany be tempted by the prospect of a switch to Manchester. This would see another intriguing vacancy open up for Alonso at another one of his former clubs, Bayern Munich.
At any rate, the pressure is very much on for Liverpool’s head coach, who needs a minimum of Champions League qualification to guarantee any kind of safety this summer.
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