Liverpool and Manchester City are hoping to appoint Xabi Alonso as manager with Arne Slot and Pep Guardiola facing uncertain futures, according to reports.

Real Madrid chose to sack Alonso on Monday evening after they lost 3-2 to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup on Sunday.

The Spanish giants are also trailing arch-rivals Barcelona in La Liga by four points and there had been rumours of unrest in the Real Madrid dressing room at Alonso’s tactics.

A?Real Madrid?statement on Monday read: ‘Real Madrid C. F. wishes to announce that, by mutual agreement between the club and Xabi Alonso, it has been decided to bring his time as first team coach to an end.

‘Xabi Alonso will always carry the affection and admiration of all Madridistas because he is a Real Madrid legend and has always represented the values of our club. Real Madrid will always be his home.

‘We would like to thank Xabi Alonso and all his coaching staff for their hard work and dedication throughout this time, and wish them the best of luck in this new stage of their lives.’

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But Alonso is unlikely to be out of work for long with Spanish website Fichajesinsisting that Liverpool and Man City are ‘dreaming’ of appointing the Spaniard.

Liverpoolboss Slot is coming under pressure over a poor defence of the Premier League title, while there are rumours that this could be Guardiola’s last season at Man City.

The report adds: ‘Xabi Alonso?has emerged as the strongest candidate to succeed Pep Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium in the near future. The Santpedor native’s future in Manchester is completely uncertain, forcing the City board to explore alternatives.

‘The former Leverkusen player’s possession-based style and commanding presence perfectly align with the philosophy at the Sky Blues. Meanwhile, Liverpool are closely monitoring the situation of a man who is an absolute legend at Anfield. Although Arne Slot currently manages the team, his tenure has begun to raise concerns among fans and the Liverpool board. The possibility of seeing the man from Tolosa managing the club where he triumphed as a player is a dream that grows stronger every day.’

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It is also understood that a return to Germany with Bayern Munich is also an ‘option on the horizon’ for Alonso as the Bavarian chiefs will ‘never rule out top-level moves’.

Fabrizio Romano insists that there is a “strong feeling” from within football that Alonso “will attract interest from important clubs again in the next months”.

Romano said on his YouTube channel: “Xabi Alonso is disappointed with how things went at Real Madrid.

“There is a strong feeling in the industry that Xabi Alonso will attract interest from important clubs again in the next months, whether that is for summer 2026 or shortly after.

“This chapter was disappointing for everyone involved, but the internal perception of Xabi Alonso as a manager remains very positive.”

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