Liverpool given renewed hope of Xabi Alonso plot twist despite ‘weeks’ of contact with Chelsea | OneFootball

Liverpool fans who’ve been clamouring for Xabi Alonso to take over as the Reds’ head coach for next season have been offered renewed hope of getting their wish.

It was reported on Monday that the 44-year-old could be tempted to become the next permanent boss at Chelsea, who are seeking a full-time replacement for Liam Rosenior.

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The Spaniard has been widely touted for the Anfield job amid ever-intensifying pressure on Arne Slot, but several reliable sources have indicated that FSG are set to stick with the under-fire Dutchman for the time being.

Alonso is prepared to wait for Liverpool

A report from The i Paper on Tuesday has hinted that a move to Stamford Bridge for Alonso mightn’t yet be a formality.

One source for the outlet claimed that the Chelsea job ‘is his if he wants it’, and it’s understood that the west London club and the 44-year-old’s representatives ‘have been in contact for weeks’, with the Blues eager to have him in situ before the World Cup begins in a month’s time.

The Spaniard is said to be keen on a return to management, having been out of work since his dismissal by Real Madrid in January, although one source indicated that he’d have ‘taken the Chelsea job by now if Liverpool was not still in his thinking’.

Alonso is reportedly prepared to wait and see if FSG change their stance on Slot and decide to part ways with the Dutchman, thus creating a vacancy in the Anfield dugout.

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Might Alonso end up at Liverpool yet?

Could there yet be a major plot twist which sees the 2010 World Cup winner end up at Liverpool rather than Chelsea this summer?

Admittedly it seems unlikely that Anfield chiefs – who seem to be firmly behind Slot despite the Reds’ abysmal season – would suddenly decide to pull the trigger, particularly if we get over the line in the race for Champions League qualification.

However, if Alonso feels that there’s a chance the LFC job might open up and wants to wait it out, that could just give the Stamford Bridge hierarchy second thoughts about the 44-year-old if their urgency to finalise a head coaching appointment isn’t reciprocated by the Spaniard.

For now, it still seems more likely that the ex-Real Madrid boss will end up in west London than Merseyside over the summer, but this latest report may leave the door ajar for a decisive volte-face.

If Liverpool sense that our former midfielder might prefer the Anfield job to the Chelsea one, they absolutely must be ready to pounce if the opportunity arises to make an appointment which’d appease a disenchanted fan base.