Football365
·15 January 2026
Arne Slot ‘crumbling’ at Liverpool amid ‘loss of support’ as Hughes ‘opposes’ request – report

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·15 January 2026

Arne Slot’s future at Liverpool is under scrutiny after reports of a ‘sudden lack of support’ from the hierarchy, with Xabi Alonso now available.
Liverpool sit fourth in the Premier League with 35 points after 21 games, with their title defence all but over.
They trail league leaders Arsenal by 14 points and are currently focusing on finishing in the Champions League places, while they remain in Europe’s premier competition and the FA Cup.
Liverpool head coach Slot has faced criticism all season but the Reds are currently unbeaten in 11 matches across all competitions, though five of their nine Premier League games have been draws.
Despite their lengthy run without losing, Slot’s side have looked fairly unconvincing.
After an awful run of six defeats in seven Premier League games from late September and late November, there were calls for the Dutchman to get sacked.
The former Feyenoord manager remain under huge pressure and seems to be walking on thin ice as Liverpool continue to turn in disappointing performances.
According to a report from Hooligan Soccer (via a ‘team of five elite reporters’), new Tottenham Hotspur assistant coach John Heitinga wanted to return to Liverpool, with Slot ‘also keen’, but Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes ‘opposed the move’.
There is no reason why Hughes said no, but it’s claimed that this is ‘another ingredient in the long-simmering stew of rumor that Arne Slot’s position at Anfield is steadily crumbling’.
It is a ‘worrying sign’ that Hughes is showing a ‘sudden lack of support’ and points towards Slot leaving the club this year and potentially if the Liverpool hierarchy are ‘weighing their options’.
The reporters claimed beforehand that Slot will ‘deny’ the Heitinga claims when he speaks to the media on Friday.
Should Liverpool decide to sack Slot, Alonso would be the most obvious replacement.
The Spaniard’s reputation remains intact despite being let go by Real Madrid, with his departure attributed to player power and his superstar players not wanting to press and defend.
Alonso would have enjoyed, whether he wants to admit it or not, watching Los Blancos lose to second-tier strugglers Albacete in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday evening.
Slot, meanwhile, is currently preparing for Liverpool’s home game against Burnley in the Premier League. Fail to win that, and the pressure could become too much.









































