Sky Sports anchors of old clash on Xabi Alonso to Man Utd as Liverpool job talk is RAMPED up

Manchester United have been told to cast aside Xabi Alonso’s loyalties to Liverpool by making a firm approach to appoint him as their next manager, according to one controversial pundit, while a respected source has made clear where the Spaniard’s next job will likely be.

The 2026 trend for sacking high-profile managers continued this week when Alonso was removed from his job as Real Madrid coach after just eight months in the role. Despite having a win percentage rate of over 70%, the Supercopa final defeat to Barcelona in Saudi Arabia on Sunday proved the final straw for club bosses, who immediately stuck Castilla coach, Alvaro Arbeloa, in caretaker charge.

With Alonso back on the market, the 44-year-old is not expected to be out of work for long and, while a return at the season’s end looks most likely, he has already been linked with a string of high-profile jobs.

Indeed, Alonso has already been strongly linked with the Liverpool job amid claims Arne Slot remains under pressure and with a bombshell report just last week suggested FSG were ready to axe the Dutchman after their disappointing campaign to date.

And while those rumours have since been dismissed, Alonso has also been touted as a possible successor to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City , amid claims the legendary Spaniard could walk away from the Etihad at the end of the current campaign.

However, controversial former Sky Sports anchor Richard Keys has urged Manchester United to make a move for Alonso as they look for a permanent successor to Ruben Amorim, who was sacked by the Red Devils on January 4.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Keys said: “Perfect. United should move heaven and earth to appoint [Xabi] Alonso,” before adding: “And don’t tell me his time at Liverpool rules him out – [Sir Matt] Busby played for them and [Manchester] City .”

Despite that, another former Sky Sports man, Jeff Stelling, is adamant that Alonso to Old Trafford is a non-starter, making clear his loyalties to the Merseysiders do rule him out.

“In terms of Xabi Alonso, because of his Liverpool links, I don’t see him ever going to Manchester United as manager,” Stelling said on talkSPORT .

“And I don’t necessarily see Old Trafford fans accepting him either. Especially if they lost two or three under him.”

Sitting alongside him in the studio, his co-presenter Ally McCoist agreed, adding: “Yeah, I just don’t see it. I really do not see it happening. I just can’t see it happening. I mean, time will tell.

“But that’s not to say that Xabi Alonso will not be in demand. Because he will be in demand. Because he’s proved he’s excellent, particularly in his job at Leverkusen. Absolutely outstanding.”

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Meanwhile, it’s been claimed that Alonso would prefer to replace Slot as the Liverpool manager to taking charge of Manchester City when Guardiola leaves, according to a German source.

And according to Bayern Space , a reputable account on X with almost 31,000 followers, which has been praised by respected reporters like the Daily Mail’s Merseyside correspondent, Lewis Steele.

The X account often reveals insights from Bayern and was among the first to report Michael Olise’s release clause in his contract at the German club.

The account wrote on X at 9:05am on January 13: ‘Following his departure from Real Madrid , Xabi Alonso held a phone call with Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, a figure with whom he has maintained a close and long-standing relationship for years.

‘The exchange was described as warm, reflective, and respectful, with Rummenigge expressing genuine regret that Alonso’s chapter in Madrid did not unfold as hoped, while once again underlining the esteem in which he continues to be held in Munich, not as a fleeting consideration, but as a figure Bayern Munich have admired for a long time.

‘Rummenigge has long supported the idea of Alonso one day taking on an active role at Bayern, and during the conversation, he made it unmistakably clear that the doors in Munich remain open, both now and in the future, should Alonso ever feel the moment is right.

‘Xabi Alonso is said to have responded with appreciation and respect, fully aware of the standing he continues to enjoy inside the club.

‘Internally at Bayern, the tone and wording of the call were analysed carefully, leading to the prevailing interpretation that Alonso’s next step is unlikely to take him back to Germany in the immediate term.

‘Instead, there is a growing belief that his trajectory is pointing toward the Premier League, with Liverpool and Manchester City viewed as the most realistic destinations. Liverpool is long understood to hold a special place in Alonso’s heart, and even now the sense internally is that his personal preference leans in that direction.’

Meanwhile, Manchester United interest in appointing a top Italian as their new manager – exclusively first reported by TEAMtalk just days after Amorim was sacked – has been talked up by a number of top sources, including Fabrizio Romano, and with the potential arrival of the 46-year-old also getting a ringing endorsement from Rio Ferdinand.

In the meantime, all eyes will be on how interim boss Michael Carrick gets on with a baptism of fire against noisy neighbours Manchester City on Saturday.

How Carrick beat Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to the interim role is also a fascinating side-story this week, and now a brutal report has revealed the stunning own goal the Norwegian played in those negotiations with Jason Wilcox and Omar Berrada .

Over at Liverpool, the Reds are reportedly ready to go all out for the signing of a £52m-rated Dutch star in 2026 and are prepared to pull out all the stops to beat Real Madrid to the signature of the teenager who first ‘charmed’ Slot over a decade ago.

Elsewhere, Fabrizio Romano has given the Reds a significant boost in their pursuit of a supreme €120m-rated wing talent , while Tottenham have already had a move for him rejected.