Arne Slot responds when asked if FSG will sack him and hire Xabi Alonso as Liverpool manager | OneFootball

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has hit back at suggestions that Xabi Alonso will replace him as the manager at Anfield, with the Dutchman also giving his take on Mohamed Salah and on Virgil van Dijk reportedly holding a ‘players only’ meeting.

The future of Arne Slot has been the subject of discussion among Liverpool fans for a while now, with the defending Premier League champions already out of the race for the Premier League title this season.

However, The Athletic journalist, James Pearce, has said that Liverpool owners, Fenway Sports Management (FSG), are not planning to sack Slot anytime soon.

Slot has ‘the backing of FSG’, according to Pearce, who has reported that Liverpool do not plan to follow in the footsteps of Manchester United and Chelsea and make a mid-season managerial change.

However, we understand that Liverpool do have a contingency plan should they decide to fire Slot.

Sources have told TEAMtalk’s transfer correspondent, Fraser Fletcher, that Liverpool remain admirers of Xabi Alonso, who is without a managerial role after parting company with Real Madrid earlier this month.

FSG wanted Alonso to take charge of the first team after Jurgen Klopp left as Liverpool manager and remain interested in bringing back the former Anfield midfielder.

Other media outlets, including the Real Madrid-leaning Marca, have also reported Liverpool’s interest in Alonso.

Slot, though, does not seem to be bothered and has hit back at suggestions that FSG could sack him and hire Alonso.

The Liverpool manager was asked the question in a press conference on Tuesday about Alonso, as he looked forward to the Champions League game against Marseille on Wednesday.

Slot responded by saying, as quoted in The Express: “Yes, he called me and said: ‘What do you think about the team because I am going to take over in six months, can you tell me a little bit more?’

“Or maybe earlier. Maybe he takes over tomorrow!… No, no, no. This is one of the weirdest questions I ever got.

“What is there to say? I am working here for a little bit more than one and a half years, and I really like my work over here.

“We won the league last season, struggled more in the league this season. That is also obvious, so yes what is there left to say?”

Want more breaking transfer lines from original sources? Add TEAMtalk as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trust.

What Arne Slot said about Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk

Slot was also asked about Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah, who is back at Anfield after playing for Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Salah left for Morocco under a cloud after slamming Liverpool and Slot, but the Dutchman has suggested that it is water under the bridge.

Slot told BBC Sport: “I am really happy and pleased he is back.

“In his absence, I think we have done quite OK in terms of hardly conceding any chances and starting to create more and more.

“If you create more and more, then it is really helpful to have Mohamed Salah.

“There has only been one who scored more for this club [who is alive] but I don’t think I can play Ian Rush still! Then it is really helpful to have him back.”

When asked about his relationship with Salah, Slot said: “It’s as normal as it’s always been, with one exception, and that was Inter Milan.

“I spoke to him today, and I’m happy to have him back because this season I’ve only had two wingers who’ve played more than 100 minutes in the Premier League and that’s Mo and Cody [Gakpo].

“Jeremie Frimpong and Florian Wirtz can also play in these positions, but if I asked Florian what was his favourite position he wouldn’t say left or right wing. Jeremie would be the same, but he’s shown what he can do off the right side.

“I saw today that Mo has 45 goals for Liverpool in the Champions League and the next highest is Virgil van Dijk with five. So it is nice to have him back, especially if he is able to reach those levels that brought him 45 goals again.”

Slot has also said that he is not aware of Liverpool captain and central defender Virgil van Dijk calling a ‘players only’ meeting ahead of the match against Marseille.

There have been rumours that Van Dijk was to hold a players’ meeting on Monday, having not been happy at Liverpool’s failure to win against Burnley last weekend.

The Mirror quotes Slot as saying: “I am not aware that Virgil called for [team meeting], we had a post-match meeting led by me.

“Once this season, I am aware the players came together months ago.

“Post-match meeting was positives we did and where we can do a bit better to make sure if you perform like that – so many shots – that doesn’t result in a draw.”

Meanwhile, Liverpool have made a big decision on the future of a midfielder who is on the radar of Manchester City and Real Madrid.