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A Premier League winning coach could replace Slot at Liverpool

Liverpool manager Arne Slot is facing questions over his future at Anfield after being beaten 4-0 by Manchester City in the FA Cup quarter final on Saturday.

The Reds were hammered at the Etihad, thanks to a hat-trick from Erling Haaland, and that has made it three defeats in their last five games in all competitions.

The Slot have overseen 16 defeats in all competitions this season, while winning 25 times, and that’s just nine defeats out of 56 in the 2024/25 campaign.

The Dutchman won the Premier League title in his first year at the club after replacing Jurgen Klopp, but his second season at Anfield has not been successful.

Liverpool were also linked with interest in a replacement for Sloto before the summer, with Andoni Iraola and Xabi Alonso two of the names being mentioned.

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There are question marks over the fitness of both Iraola and Alonso, however. The former has never won a major trophy in his managerial career, while Alonso has never managed in the Premier League before.

Xabi Alonso's Real Madrid record (unlimited)

If the Reds choose to part ways with Slot at the end of this season, they should look for someone with more experience managing the league or winning trophies regularly.

Speaking to Football Insider, former Aston Villa and Everton chief executive Keith Wyness suggested Jurgen Klopp could make a surprise return to Liverpool.

Wyness said: “There was an interesting thought the other day that someone gave me that there was a Bonnie Prince Jurgen waiting across the water to come back and claim his throne.

Red Bull's head of global football is Jurgen Klopp

“Now, for me, that’s a little bit of an idea, but you never know. In football, we’ll never know. And there’s that rumor that’s been circulating a lot in my network and it might be true.”

Football Insider adds that Slot is expected to be sacked by the Reds in the summer and that Alonso is considered the favorite for the role, but this claim about Klopp could throw a spanner in the works.

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Now, first of all you have to say that this is only a rumor at the moment and there are no concrete reports suggesting that the two teams are in talks or that Klopp would be interested in a return.

Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is seen in the stands before the game

If the stars align, however, the German head coach could be a better choice than Alonso because of what he achieved at Liverpool in his debut.

Klopp decided to retire at the end of the 2023/24 campaign because he was “running out of energy”, which was understandable after almost nine seasons in the dugout.

Last month, Sky Sports pundit Robert Earnshaw suggested the German could be open to talks about a return to the club, after a two-year break in management.

If, as suggested by Wyness now and Earnshaw in the past, Klopp is open to leaving his job as Head of Global Football at Redbull to return to Anfield, the former Borussia Dortmund coach would be a better choice than Alonso.

Red Bull's Head of Global Soccer Jurgen Klopp before the match

The experienced manager won the Premier League and the Champions League during his time on Merseyside, while he won two Bundesliga titles with Dortmund before his time in England.

Medals won as a manager

Klopp

Alonso

x2 Bundesliga

1x Bundesliga

1x Premier League

1x DFB Pokal

1x Champions League

1x German Super Cup

1x DFB Pokal

1x FA Cup

2x league cup

1x Club World Cup

1x UEFA Super Cup

Alonso is still in the early stages of his managerial career, so it may sound difficult to compare their achievements, but Klopp is a serial winner who is capable of winning major trophies in England as a manager.

It remains to be seen whether Alonso’s plan and tactics will translate to English football or not, especially after spending less than one season at Real Madrid after leaving Bayer Leverkusen.

Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso

Klopp has proven that he can manage and win trophies in many countries, including England, and would be a perfect fit for Slot, if the club make a change this summer.

It now remains to be seen whether there is a realistic chance of the German tactician making a surprise return to Anfield at the end of the season.

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