Liverpool make ‘direct contact’ for Alonso as Real Madrid players call for Zidane appointment | OneFootball

Liverpool have contactly Xabi Alonso directly about taking over from Arne Slot as the Real Madrid boss faces ‘growing calls’ for Zinedine Zidane to replace him, according to reports.

The Reds beat West Ham 2-0 on Sunday to secure their fourth win in their last 13 matches in all competitions as they somewhat halted their dreadful start to the new campaign.

Defending champions Liverpool, who won the title in Slot’s first season, find themselves eighth in the Premier League table and nine points adrift of leaders Arsenal.

There were rumours last week that Liverpool have handed Slot a two-game stay of execution with the Anfield hierarchy expecting two wins from games against West Ham, who they beat, and Sunderland on Wednesday.

Slot is currently only one loss away from a crisis due to the nature of their poor start with a defeat against the Black Cats at Anfield in midweek likely to heap pressure on the Dutchman.

And reports in Spain have claimed that Liverpool ‘have already contacted’ former midfielder Alonso as the Reds hierarchy feel the Real Madrid head coach is ‘their best option’ if they replace Slot.

The Liverpool board ‘have decided to take a significant step and contact him directly to gauge his availability’ with Alonso also under pressure at Real Madrid.

The report adds: ‘The Basque coach maintains enormous prestige in Liverpool, where he left an indelible mark as a player and where he is considered the perfect candidate to rebuild the team. Furthermore, in England, they perceive that Xabi isn’t entirely comfortable at Real Madrid and that his integration into the club is still a work in progress. Therefore, they believe that now is the opportune moment to entice and convince him with a completely revamped project.

‘Within the board, there is a conviction that Xabi Alonso can restore confidence and form to several key players, especially Wirtz, whose performance has plummeted since Slot’s arrival . They believe the Spaniard possesses the leadership, tactical vision, and management skills necessary to revive a team that has lost its identity. For many at the club, Xabi represents the perfect blend of past, present, and future.’

After taking charge of the La Liga title race with their El Clasico win last month, Real Madrid have already surrendered that gap in recent weeks with Barcelona now top of the table.

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Real Madrid have won just one of their last five matches in all competitions with Alonso’s position now coming under pressure.

A reliable account on X made up of ‘five elite reporters’ and 686k followers has revealed that an emergency meeting has been called for Thursday at Real Madrid to discuss Alonso’s future.

The account wrote: ‘Exclusive: Emergency meeting. Real Madrid is facing a critical moment. The board is convening for an emergency meeting this Thursday to discuss the future of Xabi Alonso. Sources reveal that 4-5 senior players are voicing concerns about his tactical approach, claiming it’s detrimental to the team’s performance.

‘The pressure is mounting, and there’s a growing call among these players for Zinedine Zidane to make a return as manager of @realmadrid. Will the board listen to the players, or will they back Alonso?’