Jamie Carragher has Xabi Alonso theory after Jurgen Klopp meeting - 'It's an open secret'

Xabi Alonso continues to be linked as a replacement for Arne Slot at Liverpool, and Jamie Carragher has a theory after seeing how Jurgen Klopp ended up at Anfield

Jamie Carragher believes that Liverpool fans would be more willing to keep Arne Slot in charge if Xabi Alonso wasn’t available.

Slot continues to come under pressure from supporters amid what has been a disappointing season after last year’s title triumph. The Reds’ boss faces a crucial couple of months to end the campaign, with Champions League qualification the priority.

Liverpool is thought to still be backing Slot, although fans have shown signs of losing patience with the Dutchman, having booed the Reds following the recent draw at home to Tottenham. What’s more, Alonso’s availability is not easing the pressure.

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The former Liverpool midfielder has been tipped to take over from Slot, having been fired by Real Madrid back in January. Despite only lasting eight months at the Bernabeu, Alonso remains a highly sought-after manager.

His connection to Liverpool means some supporters have been talking up his chances of replacing Slot, although Carragher believes opinions would be different if Alonso was still in a job.

“If you are a sporting director hunting for a world-class appointment, who are the alternative candidates to a coach who has already delivered a Premier League title? So far as Liverpool supporters are concerned, it seems all roads lead to Alonso,” Carragher wrote in his column for The Telegraph.

“There is such a romantic attachment to the former midfielder, and that is understandable. If Xabi were not available, would more be prepared to give Slot another season if this one ends in failure? My suspicion is yes.

“That’s certainly where I stand on the issue, although it cannot be ignored how backing an under siege manager in another summer transfer window can backfire. Carrying the baggage of a poor run into the next campaign can derail it before it has got going.”

Carragher also drew comparisons between Alonso’s current situation, and the one that saw Jurgen Klopp hired nearly 11 years ago.

“The fact that Alonso is unemployed will be part of the consideration, just as it was after Klopp left Borussia Dortmund in 2015,” Carragher said.

“It was an open secret that Liverpool had hoped to meet Klopp when they appointed [Brendan] Rodgers three years earlier, just as they would have liked to have had Alonso as an option before he ruled himself out of the running in 2024.

“Once Klopp was available, the club naturally revisited the possibility of hiring him, given how much the team was underperforming. History may repeat itself with Alonso.”

Carragher though has offered up some hope for Slot that he can remain in charge of Liverpool, and he believes that results against Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain over the next few days could go a long way to securing his role for next season.

“The good news for Slot is that the situation isn’t irretrievable,” he added. “The upcoming back-to-back games are an opportunity as much as a threat.

“Slot has made no secret of sharing the football values of Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique, with both teams playing in a style he wants from his own teams.

“If he can find the solutions to beat two of the best in the world this week, it will go a long way to converting those who have become Slot’s doubters back into believers.”

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