Stunning Arne Slot sack talk assessed as Liverpool given advice over Xabi Alonso appointment

A well-known pundit has made a huge claim over Arne Slot’s future in the Liverpool hot-seat and amid growing talk he could be replaced in the hotseat by Xabi Alonso, while TEAMtalk sources have provided an update on four candidates shortlisted to replace the Dutchman.

The 47-year-old Liverpool manager appears to have overcome a rocky autumn period that saw the defending Premier League champions inexplicably lose nine of 12 games; form which left him hugely vulnerable to the sack. Indeed, after a humiliating 4-1 home thrashing by PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League in late November, the Liverpool Echo journalist Ian Doyle claimed Slot was just one week away from the sack.

Since then, Liverpool have produced something of a revival, going unbeaten in 11 games across all competitions and restoring themselves back among the Premier League’s top four – the minimum place they expect to be in.

However, while they are yet to return to the heights that saw the Merseysiders sweep convincingly to Premier League glory last season, Slot still remains a man with heat on his shoulders.

To that end, a bombshell European report last week claimed Slot would be fired by FSG ‘in the coming days’ after they had grown tired of his failure to get a consistent tune out of his expensively assembled squad.

Now, speculation on his future has ramped up even further after the man that their owners initially wanted to replace Jurgen Klopp – Alonso – was unceremoniously dumped by Real Madrid after just seven months at the helm.

Despite that, pundit Simon Jordan is adamant that Slot is not in any immediate threat of the sack, having explained why the Dutchman will get him and the club back on track to claim more trophy glory.

“You look at it and go, where does he [Alonso] go? Liverpool if Slot fails, but Slot’s not going to fail. Slot’s had a great first season,” Jordan said on talkSPORT .

“He’s having a little bit of a sabbatical in his second season like Jurgen Klopp did when he won the Premier League and people still idolise him. So give Slot a little bit of latitude here.”

While Alonso’s future will undoubtedly gather plenty of airtime and column inches after departing as Real Madrid manager, he has already been linked with future appointments at Manchester City, as well as Liverpool.

To that end, the 44-year-old has reportedly made clear his preference over which of the Premier League giants he would like to join .

Whether his next role in football ends up being at Anfield, only time will tell.

In the meantime, our correspondent, Fraser Fletcher, is adamant that the Reds have no immediate plans to part ways with Slot, despite being in the midst of what sources close to the club admit is a challenging season.

Nonetheless, like any well-run club, Liverpool do have ‘contingency plans’ in place should they decide to sack their manager at some point in the future, with sources revealing FOUR exciting names on the Reds’ radar .

Fenway Sports Group (FSG) and sporting director Richard Hughes are understood to value Slot’s tactical acumen and the stability he brought in his first year.

Reliable sources state that his job is “not in any jeopardy at the moment,” with no plans for a mid-season change. Contract talks for an extension – once seen as inevitable after last season’s triumph – have, however, been shelved amid the current form dip.

Slot himself has acknowledged the difficulties, citing injuries, set-piece vulnerabilities, and the challenges of transitioning from Jurgen Klopp’s high-intensity era. “We are in the position we deserve after the first half of the season,” he admitted earlier this winter, while expressing confidence that improvements are on the horizon.

Fletcher’s update came before Alonso’s dismissal at the Bernabeu, so whether that four-man list – which did not contain Alonso’s name, but did have a prominent Manchester United target high on their radar – could become five remains to be seen.

Meanwhile, Liverpool and Man City have both finalised their plans over a move for Marc Guehi , and it’s the Reds who are taking the bigger gamble, sources can confirm.

Speculation has also arisen that an elite Tottenham star wants out of the struggling north London club and favours a move to the reigning Premier League champions .

Staying with Spurs and Thomas Frank’s side have tried and failed to sign one of the world’s most in-demand attackers this month, according to Fabrizio Romano, giving Liverpool a perfect opportunity to strike in a blockbuster deal this summer .

Elsewhere, the ultra-reliable David Ornstein has shed light on when Ibrahima Konate and Mohamed Salah will leave Liverpool .

And finally, with Real Madrid now on the hunt for a big-name new manager, a top German source has provided a stunning new update on the Liverpool icon taking charge at the Bernabeu later this year.