Liverpool know they may have until the World Cup before Chelsea look to finalise a deal to sign Xabi Alonso as their next head coach.
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Ben Jacobs reports that ‘positive talks’ have taken place between the Blues’ hierarchy and the free agent. However, outgoing Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola is also of interest in London.
Meanwhile, onlookers Liverpool are reportedly firm on their ongoing commitment to Arne Slot despite poor performances on the pitch.
Chelsea may bring in Xabi Alonso before the World Cup
Jacobs hopped onto X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday afternoon to confirm that Chelsea are interested in Alonso’s services.
More on Xabi Alonso and Chelsea. Positive talks have taken place, while Andoni Iraola is another leading contender.
Both managers with the same agency.
Chelsea want to make an appointment before the World Cup.🔵https://t.co/IoO9Sllryt
— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) May 12, 2026
It’s our understanding that the Spanish head coach would like to manage in the English top-flight.
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We’d venture a step forward to speculate that Liverpool would be his preferred destination this summer.
However, there is an alarming lack of discourse around the Reds and potential interest in their former midfielder. If anything, it has been made abundantly clear that Liverpool would rather keep hold of Arne Slot than make a change at the end of the 2025/26 season.
Why are Chelsea being more proactive than Liverpool?
The big concern for us here at Empire of the Kop is that Liverpool are at serious risk of regressing beyond the end of the campaign.
The football has been dire, boring, and we’ve been perfectly happy to play spiralling outfits back into form (see the 1-1 draw with Chelsea as a case in point).
Now, while we’re grateful for all that Slot has achieved at L4, it seems we’ve passed the point of no return. Fans at Anfield were booing the manager’s decision-making, and there were yet more early walkouts ahead of full-time.
So why aren’t Liverpool looking to be proactive to address a slump that looks in danger of leaking into the 2026/27 season?
Why are we seemingly allowing Chelsea to have a free run at Xabi Alonso – arguably the most attractive coaching solution available on the market – to commit to another season of Slot?
It all reeks of misguided loyalty to the man who helped deliver the 20th league title back to Anfield last term.
And it could backfire badly.
Loyalty? If tomorrow real Madrid offers arne slot the contract, will he reject it?
If FSG wanted Alonso it would be done straight after the last game of the season. Chelsea can’t keep getting it wrong with the choice of manager, if they do get Alonso, with the money they have and the quality of players in their squad theyll be the next team to pass us. There’ll be quite a few big clubs after Alonso, agents of clubs already in discussion.
If FSG don’t want him you can’t blame Alonso for going to Chelsea. Then there’s Manchester United?
What if Manchester United went in for him.
Again, you can’t blame Alonso if he gets a top job at one of our rivals.
You can also seen now why Alonso failed at Real Madrid. Tantrums, players fighting in training, players not wanting to play ect. Player power got rid of him, they’ve got worse since he left.
One player, for all his talent I would Never want at Liverpool is Kylian Mbappe, he’s caused trouble wherever he’s been, lacking the right temperament for a great player. It’s why France won’t win the world cup.
Good luck to Chelsea or Manchester United if they get Alonso. It’s called Ambition.
The only Ambition at Liverpool is to get champions league revenues for charlatan owners FSG.
Which they’ll spend rebuilding the Boston red Sox.
Anfield needs to go in open revolt. Slot out banners. everyone in the crowd turning their backs on him
everyone should continue to revolt until FSG here the fans, before its too late, because Chelsea will end up winning with Alonso, its guaranteed,
if we miss out on Alonso, its because of Hughes and Edwards, both are leaving at the end of next season, they want total control of player recruitment, Liverpool will take years to recover, guaranteed, has slot improved any player, give him messi, and he’ll turn him into a flop, no premier league club would swap managers with us
If they continue such a structure, good managers will think twice before coming to us. A football manager needs to be able to buy and sell players he deems fit or unfit for the team.