Liverpool could renew Salah by hiring “genius” Slot instead

Every time it looks like Liverpool are starting to show the first signs of progress under Arne Slot this season, reality brings them down.

The defeat against Wolves at Molineux was bad, and while the Reds had the chance to put that loss to rights at the weekend, against Wolves, again, at Molineux in the FA Cup, there is no doubt that this team is running on a cliff.

Sixth in the Premier League and without an easy slide since last year, the reigning champions have been a disaster, and the consistency of their poor form so far has left many wondering if the reigning Dutch coach could be sacked before the start of the 2026/27 season.

The latest on Slot’s Liverpool future

FSG, as ever, are playing their cards close to their chest. Slot’s position in the Anfield dugout is not an immediate threat, but Liverpool fans are tired of not doing well enough, and failure to finish in the top five will prove a point.

This squad continues to look uneven, with major changes in the summer transfer window last year having a negative impact on the Slot system.

Slot has been vocal about his frustrations with the current state of the Premier League. The ball is too small. However, his old, uninspiring tactics left much to be desired, so such comments left many Liverpool fans scratching their heads.

If Liverpool are going to make a change, they will have to step up. The manager’s market is said to go into overdrive in the summer, and Xabi Alonso will be at the top of many a shopping list.

Out of a job since leaving Real Madrid this winter, the former Liverpool player is one of the world’s most respected young managers, with Liverpool originally hoping to sign him after Jurgen Klopp steps down in 2024.

The 44-year-old turned his former club around and expanded his coaching skills at Bayer Leverkusen for another year before joining Real Madrid.

Now out of a job, FSG and sporting director Richard Hughes could go, with many reliable links suggesting he is high on their short list, should Slot be fired. In fact, reports from the beginning of this year have revealed that there were discussions between the two sides.

Why Alonso is not good for Liverpool

Alonso is a professional man manager and a “tactician”, as he was named by Felix Fischer of Sky Sports. Any number of Liverpool’s first-team players will stand a chance to flourish under his management, with Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong both having reached the peaks of their careers at Leverkusen.

Alonso struggled at Real Madrid, but that doesn’t mean he’s not a superior manager, and while he likes to play in a 3-4-2-1 formation, he’s flexible and played in a more traditional 4-3-3.

After winning an invincible domestic double with Bayer Leverkusen in the 2023/24 season, only to be defeated by Atalanta in the Europa League final, Alonso has improved enough to succeed a coach like Slot at Liverpool, bringing new ideas and difficulties from a trial run at the Santiago Bernabeu.

His ability to elevate players’ performances may even play into Mohamed Salah, whose decline this season has been one of the saddest parts of Slott’s side’s downfall.

There is no doubt that Salah has regressed, a lot, this season. But it would be a mistake to say that the first iteration of the winger can be found under the wing of Slot last year.

Perhaps we have never seen such a polished and polished striker as well as a goalscorer, but Salah’s success is built on the premise that the Slot will reduce his defensive work and allow him to destroy defenses in the Premier League.

It is clear that Salah is coming to the end of his career at the highest level in England, but it is also clear that he is capable of more than what he has been giving.

Given the importance of signing a left-back this summer, and the uncertainty surrounding Federico Chiesa, it might not be a bad idea to hold onto the Anfield superstar of the last decade.

All this means that Alonso may be able to get a song from the Egypt international, who has built a stable attacking and winning tradition with Leverkusen. Despite this, he actually kept Madrid at a respectable level, and Los Blancos’ recent struggles underline a bigger problem than the Spanish legend.

Whatever happens in the dugout, Liverpool need to make some big changes this summer. However, that doesn’t mean Salah needs to go.

This is one of the greatest strikers in the history of the Premier League, and under the guidance of Alonso, maybe there is still time for the last dance.

Related

Fewer touches than Alisson and 100% lost duels: Liverpool star should be demoted

Liverpool suffered a setback in the Champions League race after losing to Wolves.