How Liverpool could line up under Xabi Alonso with four new signings

Speculation persists over Arne Slot’s future as Liverpool manager as Anfield turned toxic during the 1-1 draw against Chelsea.

Boos rang out at full-time at Anfield as Liverpool halted Chelsea’s run of six consecutive defeats in a similar manner to stopping Tottenham’s rot during Igor Tudor’s short-spell in charge of the London club.

The feeling on Merseyside is that Slot is starting to lose the faith of supporters who watched their side lift the Premier League title in the Dutchman’s first season in charge.

Slow-paced, uninspiring football looks to have driven a large section of the fanbase to calling for change, with former Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso’s name being chanted by Liverpool supporters leaving the Etihad Stadium early during the heavy FA Cup defeat earlier in the year.

Alonso is plotting his next move after leaving Madrid less than seven months after being appointed manager and has been heavily linked with a move to Chelsea as well as Liverpool.

As per AS Diario, Liverpool have now made contact with Real Madrid over their former boss, looking for an endorsement that he could be their new boss if Slot does depart.

We take a closer look at how Liverpool could line up under the Spaniard if the former midfielder returns to Anfield.

Goalkeeper - Alisson Becker

Speculation persists that Liverpool could be set to lose star goalkeeper Alisson Becker at the end of the season with a return to Italy believed to be on the cards. Juventus have been heavily touted as a destination for the Brazilian. Liverpool activated the option to extend his current deal until the end of the 2026/27 to avoid losing him on a free and with leaders in the squad such as Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson departing, they cannot afford to let another team leader depart.

Defence - Denzel Dumfries, Ibrahima Konate, Virgil van Dijk, Milos Kerkez

The departure of Trent Alexander-Arnold has left Liverpool with an issue at right-back they are yet to solve. Conor Bradley stepped into the role with new signing Jeremie Frimpong expected to rotate but both players have struggled with injuries. Bradley has missed the majority of the campaign and Frimpong has regularly been used as a winger instead of a full-back. Liverpool were linked with Inter Milan star Denzel Dumfries in January and the Dutchman will have just one year left on his deal in the summer. A cut-price move for a player of his experience seems like a no brainer, potentially in a deal involving Curtis Jones. Ibrahima Konate must be retained despite his poor form at times this season, securing his future should be a priority for the Liverpool brass. Virgil van Dijk needs to be relied on less but still has the quality to be starting. Milos Kerkez has been a stand-out player after ousting Robertson as the starting left-back at Anfield.

Midfield - Adam Wharton, Dominik Szoboszlai, Florian Wirtz

Midfield remains a huge issue with Liverpool, lacking serious physicality and progression from deep. Elliott Anderson would be a stellar addition but seems destined for Manchester United or Manchester City with reports suggesting Liverpool are fully focused on luring Adam Wharton from Crystal Palace. The former Blackburn man excels at setting the tempo and progressing the ball from deep, something the midfield partnership of Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister have struggled with. Dominik Szoboszlai is one of the few players who can hold their heads up high after a poor season under Slot but will be expected to step up and fill the leadership void left by the departures. Florian Wirtz has failed to reach lofty expectations during his first year in England but playing under a manager who extracted the best out of him will only improve his chances of hitting the ground running in his second season.

Attack - Yan Diomande, Alexander Isak, Bradley Barcola

Liverpool’s forward line is the place where the majority of surgery is required with Salah’s departure requiring a world-class replacement. But Liverpool have issues on both flanks with Luis Diaz failing to be adequately replaced and Cody Gakpo struggling under the pressure of being the only senior left winger on the books. Rio Ngumoha has shown tons of potential but is only 18-years-old and needs to be managed properly. RB Leipzig star Yan Diomande would inject pure pace on the right side and Paris Saint-Germain forward Bradley Barcola would complement him perfectly on the opposite flank. The main jobs of both men should be getting Alexander Isak as many scoring opportunities as possible after a disastrous first season since his record-breaking move from Newcastle. A leg break against Tottenham halted any momentum he had gained in December and a clean slate under a new manager could be exactly what the Swede needs to get back to his best.

Liverpool potential XI under Xabi Alonso (LineUpBuilder)

Liverpool XI under Alonso: Alisson; Dumfries, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Wharton, Szoboszlai, Wirtz; Diomande, Isak, Barcola