Xabi Alonso has reportedly struck a ‘preliminary agreement’ to become Liverpool head coach amid rumours Arne Slot could be sacked this week.

The Reds are having a poor season in the Premier Leaguewith the defending champions currently 14 points adrift of leaders Arsenal.

Back-to-back Premier League draws means they are just seven points ahead of 14th-placed Crystal Palace with Slot coming under increasing pressure.

The Liverpoolboard backed Slot in the summer transfer window with the Reds spending over ￡400m on new signings.

There was a report earlier this weekwhich claimed Slot ‘will not continue as?Liverpool?manager beyond this week’ after the Reds made their ‘final decision’ over the Dutchman’s future.

The report added that the Liverpool board deem the 14-point gap to leaders Arsenal as ‘unacceptable after the significant investment made last summer’.

READ:?Who will be the next manager of Liverpool after Arne Slot sack?

And now further reports in Spain claim that Real Madrid head coach Alonso, who is under pressure at the Bernabeu, ‘has a preliminary agreement with Liverpool?to become their new manager.’

There are rumours that Alonso could be replaced in the Real Madrid dugout if they lose their Spanish Super Cup semi-final to Atletico Madrid on Thursday.

The report adds: ‘At?Anfield,?they’re closely monitoring the situation. Although?Arne Slot?started the project very successfully, the English club isn’t entirely convinced his tenure will be long-lasting. The feeling is that?Liverpool?needs a step forward on the bench to return to its best form and get the most out of players like Wirtz, and?Xabi Alonso?is the name that has generated the most consensus among the sporting directors.

‘Liverpool?believe?Xabi Alonso?fits?perfectly into their football philosophy. He knows the club, the demands of the?Premier League?, and has a modern profile that appeals to the board. Therefore, talks have been ongoing for weeks, and the situation is well-defined. So,??if Xabi becomes a free agent after the Super Cup, Liverpool will make their move.’

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Former Liverpool forward John Aldridge reckons Slot could follow Enzo Maresca and Ruben Amorim as out of work Premier League managers unless the Reds “see some signs” of improvement soon.

Aldridge said in his latest?Liverpool Echo?column: “Chelsea sacked Maresca. United have sacked Amorim. They both know how important it is to get in the top four. They’re doing it now rather than later to have a go at getting in the top four. They are making the change before it is too late. We should be wary of both of them.

“The owners have kept faith with Arne despite our difficult season, but if we hadn’t won the league last year, it might have been different for him. He might have lost his job too.”

Aldridge added: “We’re not a club who sack managers easily. We don’t do that, we’re not United, but Arne is not daft. If he doesn’t deliver, that’s the way the game is. He knows it; we all know it. Let’s hope he can turn it around, but we have to see some signs.”

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