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Xabi Alonso’s Dream Liverpool 11 if He Replaces Arne Slot

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Who will be in the dugout at Liverpool next season remains uncertain as Arne Slot struggles to get the Premier League champions back on track. The most likely successor at the English club is Xabi Alonso.

The Spanish coach has only just left Real Madrid after struggling to get the star-studded Los Blancos squad singing from the same hymn sheet, but is still regarded as one of the best managers in the world. He also has a strong connection with Liverpool, having played for the Reds from 2004 to 2009.

xabi alonso


Sky Sports Reveal Xabi Alonso Stance on Replacing Arne Slot at Liverpool

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has come under fire in recent weeks and that has seen Xabi Alonso linked as his potential replacement at Anfield

As the pressure mounts on Slot and Alonso’s newfound availability casts doubts over the Anfield hot seat, we’ve decided to take a look at how the latter would line the Merseysiders up if he were to get the job, and make the four dream signings he reportedly wants.

Goalkeeper and Defenders

Micky van de Ven celebrating after scoring for Tottenham against Everton in the Premier League

Alisson Becker isn’t expected to go anywhere in the summer, and would therefore be Alonso’s first choice in between the sticks as one of the best in world football. Likewise, Virgil van Dijk would likely still be the main man at the heart of the backline, adding much-needed experience.

virgil van dijk liverpool


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Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk is the fourth-highest goalscoring centre-back in the history of the Premier League.

One of the four players Alonso has reportedly ‘asked Liverpool to sign’ is Van Dijk’s international teammate Micky van de Ven. The rapid Tottenham star is a fan of the Reds and could be looking for a step up. That would be some central defensive partnership.

Flying full-backs Jeremie Frimpong – who won the Bundesliga under Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen – and Milos Kerkez would continue to be regular starters under their new boss.

The interesting decision will be whether Alonso goes to his trusted formation with three centre-backs and two wing-backs that worked well at Leverkusen. However, with Ibrahima Konate expected to move on, the Reds will need to do some serious business to have enough defenders for that to work.

Midfielders

dominik szoboszlai

A new-look engine room would see Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch moved on and replaced by Dominik Szoboszlai dropping deeper and Crystal Palace fulcrum Adam Wharton.

The Englishman is expected to leave Selhurst Park this summer after proving himself to be one of the best midfielders in the division. Wharton’s passing range and composure would only go to new levels under Alonso, who was a midfield maestro himself.

In front of them, and providing the creativity in the team would be Florian Wirtz. The German playmaker rose to prominence under the Spanish manager’s watch and was even compared to Lionel Messi by Alonso. The £116 million superstar is finding his feet at Anfield slowly, but the managerial change would see him reach new levels.

Forwards

Michael Olise

As Slot had in the early parts of the current season, Alonso would have the dilemma of picking between two extremely talented strikers. Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak would both start for any team in the Premier League, but one would likely need to settle for a place on the bench.

Isak, as the more proven and senior forward, gets the nod in this dream XI. However, the Swede will need to be at his very best to keep his teammate out of the starting XI.

Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah haven’t been able to provide the same output as they did when Liverpool became champions in the 2024-25 season. There’s every chance this will be their last season at Anfield.

Alonso is said to be keen on a pair of wonderful French wingers. Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise has already managed double-figure goals and assists in this season’s Bundesliga.

With a transfer value of over £100 million, the ex-Crystal Palace wide player would be the perfect successor to Salah. Meanwhile, Bradley Barcola appears to be the preferred choice on the opposite flank.

my-lineup-made-with-homecrowd (96)

The 23-year-old would make up one-third of a world-class front three that any defensive line would be concerned about. It would cost a lot of money to make Alonso’s desired changes, but Liverpool would look like title challengers on paper if the club make it happen.

Statistics and transfer values in this article are courtesy of Transfermarkt. Correct as of 28-01-26.

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Tottenham Set To Lose Guglielmo Vicario As European Giants Eye Transfer

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Tottenham are preparing for a busy summer transfer window, one that promises to be exciting and transformative after a disappointing campaign.

Roberto De Zerbi’s arrival helped Spurs avoid relegation on the final day of the Premier League season, after falling to new lows in the division.

While survival was a monumental moment for the manager, he emphasised that a campaign like that last one simply cannot happen again for Tottenham, with the solution being some transfer activity.

Signings are a priority, with Marcos Senesi and Andy Robertson set to join the club on free transfers. Then there’s the bid made for Jan Paul van Hecke, which could see the Brighton defender move to North London.

Arrivals are key, but so too are exits, with a growing list of names set to leave Tottenham in the coming weeks.

Juventus Want Guglielmo Vicario

vicario

The latest reports from Gazzetta dello Sport claim that Juventus have joined the race to sign Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario in the summer transfer window.

The Serie A side were linked with the Italian shot-stopper previously, but with Inter Milan seemingly taking the lead, attention turned to Liverpool ace Alisson Becker.

That move has seemingly fallen through, leading to revived interest in Vicario, who could leave three years after moving to Tottenham from Empoli.

The 29-year-old was drafted in as the long-term replacement for Hugo Lloris, and started admirably with some top performances, not only in making saves but by playing out well, which was a requirement for then-manager Ange Postecoglou.

As time has gone on, however, Vicario has struggled alongside his teammates, conceding 50 goals in the Premier League this season and keeping just seven clean sheets.

There have been question marks over his future as a result, which have only been emphasised with the performances of Antonin Kinsky since he was put into the side.

De Zerbi has described Vicario as a “top player”, however, and insisted that he was the number-one, despite selecting Kinsky ahead of him at the end of the campaign following his injury troubles.

It remains to be seen whether the manager will stand by that and insist that the goalkeeper stays, or whether Tottenham complete a deal and look to rebuild their goalkeeping ranks again.

Tottenham Must Rebuild Leadership Ranks

Roberto De Zerbi points during Tottenham's win over Everton

If Tottenham do decide to sell Vicario, then they will be losing a player who has been part of the squad’s leadership circle for the past few seasons.

He isn’t set to be the only one, as Cristian Romero’s potential exit is compounding the impact of a team losing those key voices in the dressing room.

It means that the recruitment team needs to not only look at the profile of players they are bringing in, but what they will offer in the squad dynamics.

Robertson’s impending arrival appears to be just as much about his experience and leadership as it is his quality and depth at left-back.


Roberto De Zerbi on the sideliens during his first match as Tottenham boss


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Spurs have tabled a bid to sign Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton

With so many young players in key areas of the squad, it’s clear that there needs to be some guiding hands within the team who can help progress them into leaders of the future.

It remains to be seen whether Tottenham will look for more leadership candidates to bring in during the summer window, but it’s clearly an area that needs addressing as much as the need for on-ball quality.

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Man Utd Shortlist Iliman Ndiaye For Transfer Raid

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Manchester United are looking at options to bolster their forward ranks this summer, and have shortlisted a Premier League star as a potential transfer target, if recent reports are to be believed.

The Red Devils are in the market for several key players, with the midfield being the one area that the recruitment team wants to improve quickly.

Ederson is expected to join from Atalanta this summer, with at least one more midfielder expected to make a move to Old Trafford to play under Michael Carrick.

Beyond that, a left-back is also expected to make a switch, as Man United look to avoid being hit with injuries during a 2026/27 campaign that will feature a return to the Champions League.

While those areas will seemingly take up most of the budget, it seems as though another forward could also be on the club’s radar.

Man United Want Iliman Ndiaye transfer

ndiaye

With the transfer market expected to be filled with deals left, right, and centre, Man United are getting their moves in order, with hopes of landing everyone they want to help strengthen the team.

With that in mind, The Mirror reports that the club have shortlisted Iliman Ndiaye as a player who could help bolster the left-wing for the team this summer.

The Old Trafford outfit are yet to formalise their interest with an approach, with their attention lying elsewhere, but it’s a move that may well activate later in the window.

Earlier this week, The Athletic reported that Everton have been keen to discuss the terms of a new contract with the 26-year-old, but there are some differences on both sides.

Particularly surrounding a possible exit clause for the Senegal international, which could be activated this summer if it was to be included with a new extension.

While there are three years left on Ndiaye’s contract at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, the rejection of multiple offers means the Toffees are braced for a fight to keep their star forward.

The report adds that a possible valuation benchmark is based on Anthony Gordon’s transfer to Barcelona, which was €80 million (£69.2 million).

It remains to be seen whether that valuation could put Man United off a deal, with their priorities being elsewhere in the squad, but the rejection of a deal from Ndiaye certainly makes for an interesting saga.

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Should Man Utd Sign Ndiaye?

Iliman Ndiaye
Iliman Ndiaye

As Manchester United chiefs ponder their next moves in the summer transfer window, there are questions over whether Ndiaye would represent good business or not for the club.

At 26 years old, there are still the peak years of his career ahead of him, along with clear evidence that the star can perform at the top level in the Premier League.

In his time at Everton, Ndiaye has been described as “one of the best dribblers”, having shown his quality when in tight spaces in the final third of the pitch.

A lot of the United squad excel in large spaces, hence the playing style reverting to a more vertical way of progressing the ball that may not work against low blocks.

Ndiaye would be a quality option for those areas, but at £69.2 million, he could prove to an expensive acquisition when there should be priorities placed elsewhere.

Another midfielder after Ederson must be on the cards, while a left-back will also be a key area to look at, making it an expensive summer already.

That’s not to say Ndiaye shouldn’t come in, but much like Benjamin Sesko last summer, he should be the flourish at the end of an already successful window, and not the main deal.

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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Named the NBA Legend Better Than Jordan and LeBron

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When discussions arise about the greatest NBA players of all time, two names almost always dominate the conversation: Michael Jordan and LeBron James.

Whether it was Jordan’s reign with the Chicago Bulls throughout the 1990s, where he captured six championships and five MVP awards, or James’ remarkable longevity and ability to win NBA titles with three different franchises, both legends possess compelling cases for basketball’s GOAT crown.

Another figure whose place in NBA history is firmly established, much like Jordan and James, is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The Los Angeles Lakers icon still owns the record for the most MVP awards ever with six, one more than Jordan. Having won championships with both the Milwaukee Bucks and the Lakers, Abdul-Jabbar shared the court with many of the sport’s greatest players, giving him a unique perspective on some of basketball’s most debated topics.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s Opinion on NBA GOAT Debate

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Milwaukee Bucks

In fact, despite the endless debate surrounding Jordan and James in the GOAT discussion, Abdul-Jabbar once stated that there is another NBA legend he considers superior to both of them.

Considering how dominant Jordan and James were during their primes, many fans would view them as the toughest possible opponents in a one-on-one match-up. Both combined elite athleticism with extraordinary basketball intelligence, while possessing the competitive drive that made them incredibly difficult to overcome.

However, Abdul-Jabbar believes one of his former teammates deserves even greater praise than either Jordan or LeBron. Interestingly, the Hall of Fame center — often regarded as the greatest center in NBA history — did not choose Lakers stars such as Magic Johnson or James Worthy. Instead, he selected a teammate from his Milwaukee Bucks days.

Leaked conversation reveals how Michael Jordan really feels about LeBron James

“LeBron is awesome, MJ was awesome — but I think Oscar Robertson would have kicked them both in the behind. Absolutely. Oscar was awesome. He had brains. […] He had all the skills. He could rebound and box out guys four and six inches taller than him. He was ruggedly built. He had fluid, quickness, and just understood the game. No flair, he just got the job done every night. Who’s going to average double figures in points, assists and rebounds?”

It’s evident that Abdul-Jabbar holds his former Bucks teammate in extremely high regard, even calling him the greatest point guard the NBA has ever seen, ahead of the player many fans place at number one, Magic Johnson.

Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati Royals

Long before Russell Westbrook emerged, Robertson set the standard for point guards, impacting every area of the game, including rebounding. A 12-time All-Star, the ‘Big O’ captured the NBA MVP award in 1964 and also earned MVP honours in that season’s All-Star Game.

That campaign came two years after Robertson became the first player in league history to average a triple-double across an entire season. He remained the only player to achieve the feat until Westbrook and, later, Nikola Jokic joined him. Robertson also led the NBA in assists six times, including three consecutive seasons from 1964 to 1966, and earned spots on the league’s 35th, 50th, and 75th anniversary teams.


Michael Jordan


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Standing 6-foot-5, Robertson possessed virtually every quality a team could want from a floor general. He finally secured an NBA championship in 1971 alongside Abdul-Jabbar. While younger fans who have witnessed the brilliance of Jordan and James may struggle to imagine a player surpassing them, Robertson’s Hall of Fame career and revolutionary style made him one of the most influential talents the game has ever seen.

Although Abdul-Jabbar may naturally be influenced by his personal connection to Robertson, that should not diminish just how exceptional Robertson was during the peak years of his career.

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