- Man Utd won’t be facing an Xabi Alonso Liverpool team
- Spaniard is taking charge of Chelsea
- Arne Slot likely to continue at Anfield
Arne Slot delivered Premier League glory for Liverpool last season but a nightmare for the Merseysiders this term has been glorious for Manchester United. The latest heartbreak for the Kop is that they will be watching a club legend manage a top-flight rival next season.
According to David Ornstein of The Athletic, Xabi Alonso has reached a complete agreement to become Chelsea manager. The Spaniard has been available since January, when he was sacked by Real Madrid.
Alonso is one of Europe’s most highly rated tacticians, and there has been heavy speculation regarding a return to Anfield, where he spent his playing career. Instead, he’s off to west London, and that adds more misery to his former club.
READ: Manchester United latest news and updates
FOLLOW: Read Man Utd on Facebook, Instagram and X
Man Utd bask in Liverpool woes
Liverpool have nosedived since winning the Premier League last season, although a top-five finish looks likely. A 4-2 defeat to Aston Villa on Friday means Arne Slot’s Reds sit fifth in the table, four points above Bournemouth with two games remaining.
United booked their place in next season’s Champions League with a 3-2 win over their arch-rivals earlier this month. That is one of 12 defeats the Merseysiders have suffered in a season to forget.
Many of their fanbase hoped to wake up to news of Slot’s departure on Saturday morning. That, unfortunately for them, is only a dream, and the Dutchman seemingly isn’t going anywhere.
Ornstein revealed earlier this week that Liverpool “fully intend to go into next season with Slot.” That is music to the Old Trafford faithful’s ears, given the turmoil ensuing at Anfield.
The departing Mohamed Salah reacted to his side’s defeat to Villa with a lengthy statement on X. The Egyptian is leaving this summer, and it looks as though he’s doing all he can to take his under-fire manager with him.
Thank god it’s Chelsea
If Liverpool had sacked Slot and replaced him with Alonso, that could have been a real problem for Carrick and United. His short spell with Madrid ended not because of his coaching ability or results, but rather issues behind the scenes.
Chelsea have got themselves one of the best coaches in European football and that’s some coup given the position they are in. No European football has put the former Bayer Leverkusen manager off.
Perhaps that will be beneficial for Alonso, who can get to work rebuilding a Blues team that needs a major overhaul. He is arriving at Stamford Bridge with no real pressure to achieve immediate success, and it has shades of his appointment at Leverkusen.
Alonso was a massive success with the German outfit, guiding them to the Bundesliga title unbeaten in 2024. He ended Bayern Munich’s stranglehold on the German league before heading off to the Santiago Bernabeu.
