Florian Wirtz has already told Liverpool why they should rethink their stance on Xabi Alonso - opinion
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Despite the obvious connection, Liverpool do not appear interested in replacing Arne Slot with Xabi Alonso.Alonso’s managerial record is impressive, but a report this week has said the Reds do not think there are any available managers better than Slot, Alonso being one of them after he left his role with Real Madrid at the beginning of 2026.However, based on Florian Wirtz’s previous high praise for the Spaniard at various points over the years, Liverpool should reconsider their stance on the ex-midfielder. Photo Credit: Getty Images/Alberto Gardin/NurPhoto Florian Wirtz thinks that Xabi Alonso ‘knows exactly what makes a team tick’It’s fair to say that under Slot, especially in the 2025/26 season, there is no real style and players, as was so clear against Galatasaray, often look pretty lost on the pitch.That does not seem to be an issue under teams coached by Alonso, however, as Wirtz found out during their time at Bayer Leverkusen.During their Bundesliga-winning campaign of 2023/24, in which they did not lose a single game, the 22-year-old scored 11 and assisted 12 in 32 matches.Wirtz waxed lyrical about Alonso in that season, explaining what a top coach he is, as per Buli News.He said at the time: “I feel extremely valued under him.
Well, it certainly doesn’t feel like that in some cases, especially when it comes to the likes of Mohamed Salah, who has been penned into a wider role that is clearly impacting his form.What Xabi Alonso said about Florian WirtzThe praise from Wirtz has been reciprocated by Alonso as well, who knew months ago that the midfielder would be a success at Liverpool.Speaking in November 2025, he said: “Yes, for sure [Wirtz will be a success].“I have no doubts. For sure it is a big change for him to come to Liverpool after so many years in Germany, he’s been there all his life.
He has quality and personality and he’s competitive, so when he makes that trick, it has happened with great players in the Premier League before and I’ve no doubts with Flo.” How many goal contributions will Florian Wirtz end 25/26 with? “He’s a great guy, His personality… he brings a lot of joy to the locker room.