Michael Edwards has maintained contact with dream Liverpool manager target since 2024 | OneFootball

Liverpool director Michael Edwards has reportedly been in contact with Xabi Alonso ever since first eyeing him up to be Reds manager in 2024.

That’s according to a report from Bild, who suggest it looks increasingly likely that Alonso is set to replace Arne Slot at Anfield next season.

The Spanish tactician was first targeted by Liverpool chief Edwards after the tremendous work he did at Bayer Leverkusen, though he ended up taking over at Real Madrid.

Now, however, Alonso is available again and is back on Liverpool’s agenda after Slot’s disappointing second season in charge, according to Bild.

Can Xabi Alonso turn things around for Liverpool?

Slot arguably deserves a bit more time after winning the Premier League title in his first season in charge of LFC, but we know the nature of the modern game means things can change very quickly.

The reality is that Liverpool now look up against it to qualify for the Champions League, and may well finish the season without any silverware.

And despite Slot doing so well in his first season in charge, there has been a huge dip in performances despite the Dutch tactician being given a lot of expensive new signings to work with.

Alonso’s availability also means it’s tempting to start to think about how else to approach working with this current squad, particularly Florian Wirtz.

Xabi Alonso could unlock Florian Wirtz again

Alonso and Wirtz worked well together at Leverkusen, and that’s been one major issue for Slot this season.

Liverpool invested a lot in signing the Germany international, but he hasn’t looked at home in Slot’s system, and getting the best out of such an expensive signing will be crucial.

Alonso could work his magic with Wirtz again, as well as with another of his former Leverkusen players Jeremie Frimpong.