Alonso ‘advises’ Liverpool star to snub Real Madrid to become key man with Slot ‘in his final months’ | OneFootball

Potential new Liverpool manager Xabi Alonso has told Florian Wirtz to remain at Anfield and snub interest from Real Madrid, according to reports.

The Reds spent over £400m on new signings in the summer transfer window as they backed Arne Slot to build on winning the Premier League in his first season.

Wirtz and Alexander Isak were among the big signings as Liverpool uncharacteristically spent big with the team going backwards on the pitch this season.

That has heaped pressure on Slot with some reports earlier in the week claiming that Liverpool have already decided to part ways with the Dutchman in the summer.

There have also been claims that former Liverpool midfielder Alonso, who was recently sacked by Real Madrid, has been lined up to replace Slot, while Steven Gerrard will be available if they need a short-term option until the summer.

David Ornstein of The Athletic has outlined Liverpool’s stance on sacking Slot with an expectation that they will wait until the summer to make a decision.

Ornstein said on Sky Sports’ The Transfer Show: “It seems like the club are giving him time, even if many supporters aren’t. Every time you make checks on this, you’re told nothing before the summer. Clearly the summer – like we see at many clubs – is a time for review, and it’ll be fascinating to see which way Liverpool and other teams go at that point.

“Naturally, if results deteriorate to an alarming degree, I presume the hierarchy at any club – even though they are backing their head coach – will have to think about it, but I think the intention at Liverpool is to back him.”

Driessen wrote: ‘Only with results in the Premier League and Champions League can Slot silence the rumours about Alonso. But it could also be that the Liverpool management has already made a decision and Slot is in his final months.’

He added: ‘In December 2015, rumours circulated that Jose Mourinho would succeed Louis van Gaal at Manchester United in the summer of 2016. Van Gaal laughed it off, didn’t believe it, and spoke of fantasists who wanted to make his life miserable.

‘Then, in May 2016, on the day he won the FA Cup with Manchester United, a completely stunned Van Gaal was summarily dismissed. Shortly after, Mourinho stepped in as his replacement, having been hired six months earlier.’

With Alonso already expecting to be offered the job at Liverpool, reports in Spain claim that the Spaniard has ‘advised’ Wirtz to snub any interest over the summer from Real Madrid.

Alonso ‘maintains an excellent relationship’ with Wirtz, who he coached at Bayer Leverkusen, and Real Madrid ‘are among the clubs interested’ in the Germany international ahead of the summer.

Potential future Liverpool boss Alonso ‘is in constant contact with Wirtz and has not hesitated to recommend that he stay at Liverpool, where he believes he can become the cornerstone of the project. He is convinced that Wirtz wouldn’t fit in at Real Madrid.’