Amid the “uncertain future” of Ole Werner, Liverpool reportedly face competition from RB Leipzig for the services of Xabi Alonso should the Reds make the decision to part company with current manager Arne Slot next season.
A decade and a half after his time as a Liverpool player, Alonso turned down the chance to return to Anfield in the summer of 2024, prompting the club to appoint Slot instead. The Dutchman went on to deliver the Premier League title in his debut season but has since come under pressure because of a disappointing 2025–26 that has seen him struggle to rebuild the team in his own image.
Alonso’s stock doesn’t appear too badly damaged by a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it spell in charge of Real Madrid, fired less than eight months into a three-year contract. The widespread verdict is that of an unfortunate mismatch—he was accused of trying to coach tactics into a group of players who require a different approach—rather than a blot on his abilities as a manager.
The Spaniard’s availability has combined with the ongoing speculation about Slot’s position.
Xabi Alonso Linked With Bundesliga Return
In Germany, Sport Bild reports that uncertainty over Werner’s future with RB Leipzig could lead them to Alonso, who is among a handful of potential candidates to take over the Red Bull club.
Crucial for Werner is Champions League qualification and Leipzig look good for it, sat third, five points clear of fifth-place Hoffenheim with only four matches to go. But an assessment over how the team has developed overall could also determine whether the 37-year-old gets a second season.
In the event of pursuing a successor, Alonso stands in contention alongside outgoing Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner and Al Ahli’s Matthias Jaissle, formerly of Red Bull Salzburg. What all three have in common is experience of the Champions League.
It would be a move for Alonso more akin to his appointment at Bayer Leverkusen, transforming the team into briefly the best in Germany, than his time at Real Madrid which rapidly unraveled.
Given that Leipzig have never finished top of the Bundesliga and the Red Bull soccer operation is clearly ambitious—as evidenced by the presence of Jürgen Klopp at its helm—the appeal is obvious. Leverkusen had never been German champions before Alonso guided the team to undefeated Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal double, only beaten in the Europa League final to deny a stunning treble.
Will Liverpool Keep Arne Slot?
There are lots of moving parts to this one, so Alonso being courted by RB Leipzig would only be an issue for Liverpool if they find themselves in need of a new manager.
Supporters left so frustrated by Slot and still besotted by Alonso from his Liverpool playing career might argue that the opportunity to get the latter now, having missed out on hiring him two years ago, is too good to ignore. That would mean dispensing with Slot a year early—the contract he signed to succeed Klopp in May 2024 is good until the end of next season.
But the current signs still point to Slot keeping his job. Chelsea’s unexpected collapse has made it all but certain Liverpool will be in the Champions League in 2026–27, while time is a huge weapon for the Dutchman, as he continues to build and blend a new-look squad.
It has been reported that owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) remain satisfied with Slot, who has openly said that he feels supported by the Anfield hierarchy. Things could have been different had Liverpool fallen the way of Chelsea but, even with overall underperformance, that hasn’t been the case and he appears to have the benefit of the doubt as far as FSG executives are concerned.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘Uncertain Future’—Liverpool’s Xabi Alonso Fantasy Could Be Altered by Jurgen Klopp.
