Carragher Questions Liverpool’s Decision to Pursue Iraola Over Xabi Alonso After Slot Sacking

Jamie Carragher has raised pointed questions about Liverpool’s managerial search following the dismissal of Arne Slot, expressing particular concern over the club’s failure to secure Xabi Alonso before the former Bayer Leverkusen coach signed for Chelsea.

Slot, who led Liverpool to the Premier League title in his debut season at Anfield, was sacked by Fenway Sports Group after the club finished fifth in the league in his second campaign. The decision has attracted widespread scrutiny, with Carragher among the most prominent voices to publicly challenge the club’s direction under sporting director Richard Hughes.

Speaking on The Overlap podcast, the Sky Sports pundit and former Liverpool defender laid out his concerns in direct terms. “I would have changed him (Slot) for Xabi Alonso,” Carragher said. “As soon as he went to Chelsea, I was thinking that I would keep Slot. If you were going to change it, why was it not for Alonso?”

Carragher elaborated on why he believed Alonso represented a superior candidate. “With Alonso, you have an incredible playing CV, the managers he has been coached by, and what he did at Leverkusen,” he said. “He has managed Real Madrid. I know it didn’t go well, but he is used to that pressure and scrutiny.”

Alonso guided Bayer Leverkusen to an unbeaten Bundesliga title in the 2023-24 season before departing for Chelsea ahead of the 2025-26 campaign. His appointment at Stamford Bridge represented a significant moment in the ongoing managerial carousel at the top of English football, and one that Carragher believes Liverpool should have anticipated and acted upon.

With Andoni Iraola now reported as the frontrunner for the Liverpool job, Carragher also questioned whether the Bournemouth head coach’s tactical demands align with the current squad’s capabilities. “If Liverpool chose Iraola over Alonso, it is very worrying for Liverpool,” he said. “If it is because Alonso wants to play a back three, or his style of play, fair enough. But I am not sure Liverpool has the players to play Iraola’s high-pressing game.”

Iraola has built a strong reputation at Bournemouth for implementing a high-intensity, high-pressing system that has punched well above the club’s weight in the Premier League. However, replicating that approach at a club with Champions League ambitions and a different squad profile presents a distinct challenge, and Carragher’s comments reflect concerns held by sections of the Liverpool support.

According to reports, Liverpool have already agreed a deal with Iraola, though no official confirmation has been issued by the club at the time of publication. If confirmed, the appointment would mark a significant shift in Liverpool’s managerial philosophy following the Slot era.

The broader context of the decision raises questions about the timing and strategy behind Fenway Sports Group’s approach. Dismissing a manager who delivered a Premier League title in his first season is highly unusual, and the apparent unavailability of Alonso — who had been consistently linked with Liverpool before choosing Chelsea — adds further complexity to the narrative surrounding Hughes and the club’s recruitment structure.