Liverpool are making a summer signing that will be absolutely perfect for Xabi Alonso - opinion

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Xabi Alonso should be excited by the summer transfer business already in place at Liverpool.After months of rumours, it is now being said that Arne Slot will go in the summer, and Alonso is ready to join.The Spaniard will benefit from Mohamed Salah’s exit at the end of the 2025/26 campaign, while the Reds already having a deal in place for Jeremy Jacquet is perfect for what looks set to be their next manager. Will Xabi Alonso be Liverpool manager by the start of the 2026/27 season?

If no, where will he be instead? Photo Credit: Getty Images/Alberto Gardin/NurPhoto Jeremy Jacquet the perfect signing for Xabi Alonso at LiverpoolAn agreement was struck in the winter window for Jacquet to complete a move to Anfield ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.The French centre-back has been hit by a long-term injury this year and won’t play again, though he should be fit for the start of next season.Jacquet’s return to action will be ideal for Alonso if he takes the Liverpool job, given the lack of options the Reds currently have at centre-back.Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk have had to play the majority of minutes this term because 2025 summer addition, Giovanni Leoni, is out.But even if Leoni were to be fit, Liverpool don’t really have enough bodies at centre-back to accommodate Alonso’s preferred three-back system.However, the impending arrival of Jacquet will not only add an extra centre-back to the ranks, but the 20-year-old already has plenty of experience in a three/five-man defence.Prior to his injury, the young stopper had made 33 appearances for Rennes, most of which saw the Ligue 1 outfit use a 3-5-2 formation.That is the system Alonso would likely deploy at Liverpool, based on how he previously set up at Bayer Leverkusen and the likelihood that Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike will need to start most games next term.So, while he may lack the long-term experience of someone like Van Dijk, Jacquet is exactly the type of centre-back Alonso would no doubt have asked the Reds to sign anyway if he becomes manager.Join Our NewsletterReceive a digest of our best Liverpool content each week direct to your mailbox