Liverpool are reportedly keeping close tabs on Xabi Alonso, should the Premier League champions decide to sack Arne Slot. It’s been a tumultuous campaign for Liverpool, who had high expectations on the back of a summer of big investment.

Twice the club broke their transfer record, while close to £450million was spent on new players. They haven’t exactly gelled so far this season, which has led to suggestions that Liverpool could look to change their manager in the coming months.

Should Alonso be drafted in at Anfield, as is being mooted by German outlet BILD, the six-time European champions would have the perfect welcome present waiting for the Spanish coach upon arrival. That’s because two of the players who arrived in the summer transfer window, Jeremie Frimpong and Florian Wirtz, found success with Alonso in his previous job at Bayer Leverkusen.

Not only that, but Frimpong and Wirtz were integral to a lot of what Alonso did with his league-winning Leverkusen team. Die Werkself became the only Bundesliga team in history to go an entire campaign unbeaten, with Wirtz picking up the Player of the Season award.

Frimpong’s maurading runs on the right-hand side caused opposition defences chaos, with the Dutchman slotting in perfectly to Alonso’s system. While it’s unlikely Alonso would be able to copy and paste his exact system in the Premier League, being reunited with those two players would already give the recently-sacked Real Madrid coach a head start.

It is worth mentioning that there have been contrasting reports surrounding Slot’s future, with a report from The Independent suggesting the club’s bigwigs aren’t planning on sacking the ex-Feyenoord chief. It’s claimed the hierarchy recognises the mitigating circumstances that have caused Liverpool to have a disappointing season, but that could also change if they miss out on the top four.

Regardless of what happens with the manager, it’s set to be a summer of change anyway, given that Mohamed Salah is heading for the exit door. Salah has agreed to end his contract a year early, allowing him to find a new club, while also freeing up wage space for the Reds.