From Spain: “No doubt” Xabi Alonso’s future is at Anfield

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Reports in Spain assert that Xabi Alonso becoming the Liverpool manager is simply a matter of time. Image Credits: Imago ImagesXabi Alonso’s remains on the Liverpool agenda – and in Spain they’re increasingly convinced his long‑term future points to Anfield, not the Etihad.Spanish outlet AS ran a piece under the headline “Xabi rubs his hands together”, with editor-in chief Aritz Gabilondo framing the former Reds midfielder as the big winner from the current uncertainty surrounding both Liverpool and Manchester City.Crucially, the Madrid outlet now believe the City route is effectively blocked.Their line is that Pep Guardiola’s eventual successor has already been chosen, with Enzo Maresca viewed inside the Etihad as the preferred option thanks to his work with the club’s academy and a previous spell on Guardiola’s staff.With Maresca considered “the safest option” and already lined up, AS argue that any realistic path for Alonso in England runs through Liverpool rather than Manchester.It comes against fresh briefings from England that Arne Slot is expected to remain in charge at Anfield next season.Fenway Sports Group and key decision‑makers in Boston still back the Dutchman, believing he deserves the chance to oversee a third campaign despite a bumpy second year following the title win of 2024/25.The mood around the club, according to those reports, is that the transition from Jurgen Klopp was always going to be more complex than one brilliant season suggested, and that ripping everything up now would be premature.AS, however, maintain that Liverpool continue to “push” Alonso’s name behind the scenes and see him as the natural heir when the Slot project eventually ends.Their stance is that the Spaniard has already turned down alternative options and is effectively waiting for the right moment to return to Merseyside, with Anfield presented as his “true” long‑term destination.For now, the message from both sides of the Channel is the same: Slot stays in the short term – but in Spain, they remain convinced the future Liverpool manager is already rubbing his hands together from afar.

Manchester City Xabi Alonso