As Liverpool has effectively decided to part ways with manager Arne Slot (48), claims have arisen that Xabi Alonso (45), who is being mentioned as the next manager, has already presented the club with plans for a large-scale squad reinforcement.
The British outlet Football365 reported on the 26th (Korean time) that "Liverpool has internally decided to end its relationship with manager Slot after the end of this season."
It added, "Recently, Alonso, who stepped down from the helm at Real Madrid, held private talks in Spain and discussed specific terms."
According to the report, Alonso is said to have even presented a squad plan on the assumption he would take charge at Liverpool. The social media account Indykaila claimed that Alonso identified four key transfer targets: Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven, Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton, Paris Saint-Germain forward Bradley Barcola, and Bayern Munich winger Michael Olise.
Considering that all of them are regular starters for their clubs, negotiations are expected to be quite difficult. The outlet said the transfer fees for the players Alonso requested are each estimated at around 100 million pounds (about 198.5 billion won), and that the aggregates could reach 400 million pounds (about 794 billion won).
Under Slot's management, Liverpool recently even seemed to show signs of a comeback. On the 22nd, in the seventh match of the UEFA Champions League group stage, they beat Marseille 3-0, lifting the mood.
The momentum did not last long. On the 25th, Liverpool failed to hold a two-goal lead in the Premier League match against Bournemouth, conceded the winning goal to Amin Adli in stoppage time of the second half, and suffered a 2-3 comeback loss. After this defeat, local assessments have continued that patience with Slot's management has effectively run out.
Liverpool has traditionally been a club reluctant to change managers midseason. Even so, this time the possibility of a change in direction is being discussed. Some local outlets have not ruled out club legend Steven Gerrard taking on an interim managerial role until the end of the season.
Along with the question of whether to replace the manager, Liverpool faces a major decision regarding the direction of future squad reinforcement.
[OSEN]