Steve McManaman thinks Xabi Alonso has 'desire' to manage Liverpool after leaving Real Madrid - but does not want that to be at Arne Slot's expense
Published 12/01/2026 at 21:15 GMT
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Xabi Alonso has left his role as Real Madrid manager after coming to a "mutual agreement" with the club. It was a disappointing seven-month spell for Alonso, who replaced Carlo Ancelotti in the role at the Bernabeu. His exit has put immediate focus on his future and whether he will return to Liverpool one day in the dugout. Steve McManaman thinks Alonso plans to take the job at Anfield.
Could Alonso have Liverpool on his mind following Madrid exit?
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Steve McManaman thinks Xabi Alonso has a clear "desire" to manage Liverpool - but that his exit from Real Madrid should not put undue pressure on current boss Arne Slot.
Alonso parted ways with the La Liga giants on Monday in the wake of their Supercopa de Espana defeat to rivals Barcelona.
His former Liverpool team-mate, Alvaro Arbeloa, has taken over the top job at the Bernabeu.
Alonso had been under pressure after an underwhelming seven-month stint at the club, after he replaced Carlo Ancelotti in the summer of 2025.
Attention has immediately turned to what could be the next move for Alonso, who previously enjoyed a successful spell as Bayer Leverkusen head coach.
He delivered the club’s first ever Bundesliga title, which subsequently saw his name linked with big jobs around Europe.
One of those jobs was at Liverpool, when the club he played for 210 times was seeking a replacement for one of their greatest ever managers, Jurgen Klopp.
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‘Huge shock’ – McManaman reacts to ‘messy’ Alonso departure
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Instead, that job went to Arne Slot who, despite delivering the Premier League title in his first season in charge, has faced growing pressure with their disappointing displays this term.
Arsenal, Manchester City and Aston Villa are all ahead of Liverpool in the top flight, while Slot's team face a fight to finish in the top eight in the league stage of the UEFA Champions League, thereby avoiding a play-off to reach the knock-out stages.
Discussing Slot’s position, McManaman said: "Certain people, depending on who you listen to, have already started talking about some of their form. That will continue if Liverpool fail to show how good they are.
"Life as a football manager, you’re 90 minutes away from the pressure coming back on your shoulders and the fact that Xabi is now available, and his history at the club, will suggest that there’s always going to be pressure.
"But Xabi will be wanted by a number of his clubs that he’s worked as well, so I wouldn’t necessarily take it as pressure for Arne Slot because he puts pressure on himself anyway."
Speaking recently about whether he would like to end up as Liverpool manager one day, Alonso said: "Of course there is a bond with my former club, but for now this [Real] is my place. Future, you never know what might happen."
Asked about why he did not explore the opportunity to replace Klopp when he was Leverkusen boss, Alonso said: "At that time I was focused, I had a big thing with the players and we were really focused on that."
McManaman thinks previous evidence shows that Alonso is keen to be back at Anfield one day.
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McManaman added: "Xabi had a clause in his contract at Leverkusen that he could talk to a lot of his old, ex-teams, that he played for - and Manchester City. That was public knowledge.
"So there must be a desire for him, in his mind, that he would like to manage here. But I don’t think that should have any bearing on the current manager.
"He’s a young man, Xabi. He’ll have another 25 years in the business if he wants to, so it could be right down the line."
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