Alan Pardew tells Man United to appoint 44-year-old manager ahead of Liverpool | OneFootball

As it stands, Xabi Alonso is currently the most heavily coveted free agent in world football.

The 44-year-old has been out of work since January, following a rather chaotic seven-month stint as head coach of Real Madrid.

Despite winning 10 of his first 11 games in charge at the Bernabeu, things quickly unravelled due to reported fallouts with senior players, including a highly publicised spat with Vinícius Júnior.

His tenure ultimately ended by mutual consent just a day after a crushing 3-2 defeat to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final.

But make no mistake, that brief Spanish misadventure hasn’t dented his stock one bit.

Xabi Alonso is high in-demand this summer

The tactical genius who masterminded Bayer Leverkusen’s historic 2024 Bundesliga title is still seen as the ultimate dream appointment for many clubs.

Manchester United and Chelsea are both looking for new managers. As for Liverpool, it has been reported that Arne Slot still retains the confidence of the club’s hierarchy.

Football pundit Alan Pardew has suggested to Man United to appoint Alonso as their next manager.

Pardew has told talkSPORT that United should hire Alonso in the summer ‘if he isn’t going to Liverpool.’

He explained: “If you are going to look at a financial situation, Alonso isn’t going to cost you a transfer fee.

“Taking all of his staff would all be involved with a new contract, with a new club. There’s a real window of opportunity.

“I think they’re going to have to make a big call in the summer. Slot has had a strange season.

“He could still end up in the Champions League. So is that enough with the injuries and the problems that he’s had?

“So that’s an interesting one, but if he isn’t going to Liverpool, I think Man United should be interested.”

Can Man United take the gamble on Alonso?

If INEOS could somehow pull off the impossible, Alonso’s tactical philosophy could actually be a phenomenal fit for the current squad profile at Old Trafford.

During his dominant spell at Leverkusen, Alonso heavily favored a back-three system.

Man United is currently stacked with capable center-backs who thrive in a back-three but often struggle in a traditional two-man pairing.

Alonso’s preferred 3-4-2-1 setup perfectly accommodates central playmakers. United lack out-and-out touchline wingers but boasts several quality number 10s who could easily thrive in those inverted half-spaces.

Given how quickly Alonso’s dressing room at Real Madrid reportedly fractured after just seven months, throwing him into the intense spotlight of Man United comes with considerable risks.

With Michael Carrick already restoring harmony and other top managers available, INEOS would be much wiser to pursue someone without ties to their fiercest rivals.