Arne Slot set Liverpool sack deadline with two stars keen on Xabi Alonso appointment

Arne Slot has until the summer to save his job as Liverpool manager, while two players will be hoping Xabi Alonso takes over, according to an ex-Anfield star.

Slot has come under pressure this season as Liverpool have failed to defend their Premier League title. They sit in fourth place, 14 points behind leaders Arsenal.

Liverpool can still qualify for the Champions League, while they also sit ninth in this season’s version of the competition. But much more was expected of Slot after he was backed with over £440million worth of signings last summer.

Speculation Liverpool could sack Slot has reignited after Real Madrid axed Alonso on Monday. Liverpool pursued Alonso in 2024 but he opted to stay at Bayer Leverkusen for another season, forcing the Reds to pivot towards Slot.

Jermaine Pennant has heaped praise on his former Liverpool team-mate Alonso and predicted that Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong would love to reunite with their old Leverkusen boss.

Pennant added that Slot has until the end of the season to get Liverpool back on track, otherwise a move could be made for Alonso.

“Well first of all, I’m really surprised about the sacking,” Pennant said on talkSPORT about Alonso’s Madrid departure.

“He’s got the best win ratio in the last decade of managers that have been there – 71 per cent.

“The next best one was Carlo Ancelotti in 2013, so the sacking is strange, but I’m quite pleased with it myself. Because I would love to see him in that Liverpool dugout.

“When I played with him he was just a magician, the IQ of the game, the way he reads the game.

“I’m sure he can bring that as well as a manager and we saw that at Leverkusen.

“The tune he got out of those two [Wirtz and Frimpong] was quite amazing.

“And I’m sure Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong are now having little cheeky messages to one another – ‘Oh look, Alonso has been sacked…’

“I think Liverpool were interested in him when he was at Leverkusen, but he chose to go to Real Madrid.

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Xabi Alonso sack ‘puts added pressure on Arne Slot’

“I think this puts a little bit more added pressure on Arne Slot.

“Because I’m sure the board will be looking at this going, ‘OK, our man is now available, who’s probably our first choice.’

“And now if things don’t improve… this is just my personal opinion. I think that he [Slot] has got a problem until the end the season to either turn this season around or to show the board why next season will be better.”

Liverpool reporter James Pearce insists that Slot has the backing of the board. They are sympathetic towards all the issues he has had to face.

But our transfer correspondent Fraser Fletcher revealed four managers Liverpool hold interest in on January 9.

Liverpool news: Madrid star up for sale; Guehi blow

Meanwhile, Liverpool are on alert as Florentino Perez has reportedly decided to put four Madrid players up for sale.

This has opened the door for Liverpool to snare a long-term target in an £80m (€92m) deal.

The Reds have been heavily linked with Marc Guehi too but have missed out on him to Manchester City.