The real reason why Arne Slot wasn’t sacked after Brighton humbling as Xabi Alonso contact continues

Michael Edwards reportedly remains in contact with Xabi Alonso ahead of Arne Slot’s expected departure from Liverpool Football Club.

The Merseysiders reportedly won’t take action in the immediate future, according to one report from BILD.

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However, the Spanish head coach is said to be standing by and would be open to accepting a concrete offer from the reigning Premier League champions.

Why Liverpool didn’t sack Arne Slot after Brighton defeat

Disillusionment with the current coaching setup is running at an all-time high at Anfield after a near toothless 2-1 defeat to Brighton on the south coast.

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BILD even went as far as to speculate that Slot was kept in the job purely because his main rival for the extra Champions League spot (likely to be awarded to England’s top-flight), Chelsea, also suffered defeat.

Only a point separates Liam Rosenior’s out-of-form Blues in sixth from Liverpool in fifth. Meanwhile, Aston Villa (fourth) and Manchester United (third) respectively sit five and six points ahead of the Merseyside giants in the league.

Liverpool’s position, however, according to Miguel Delaney at The Independent is that there are no plans to part ways with Arne Slot this summer.

Is Xabi Alonso in line to replace Slot at Anfield?

The report from BILD claims that FSG chief Michael Edwards has maintained a line of communication with Xabi Alonso since the spring of 2024.

The Spaniard is said to have been his preferred candidate to take over from Jurgen Klopp before the Reds eventually settled with the former Feyenoord boss.

There have been, without question, mitigating factors that have impacted Liverpool’s domestic campaign (chief amongst them the tragic passing of Diogo Jota). However, it seems increasingly clear that Slot is unable to find any solutions to help the Reds limp over the finish line with more than an ounce of conviction.

* Arne Slot’s stats as Liverpool manager (Premier League only) compared between two seasons

That’s not to dismiss the highly reliable Miguel Delaney – to be absolutely clear. But we do find it increasingly believable that Liverpool are planning for life with a different head coach, given the mounting evidence against our current head coach.

We’d be greatly surprised if things weren’t already in motion behind the scenes, pausing only if Arne Slot does the improbable and lifts the Champions League trophy for Liverpool before the summer window.

Failing that – and provided the club is prepared to meet Alonso’s alleged squad planning requests – we suspect there’ll be a very different face in the dugout ahead of pre-season.

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