Liverpool supporters hoping to see a change in manager this summer have been dealt a blow after confirmation that Xabi Alonso is set to join Chelsea.
Alonso had been the obvious candidate to take over at Anfield should Arne Slot leave, but that is now not going to happen.
Liverpool overlooking their former midfielder suggests – as has always been reported in the press – that Slot will stay with the Reds into a third season.
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Nevertheless, as long as Liverpool continue to fail on the pitch, doubts will remain. Alonso was far from being the only potential alternative to Slot, with former Spain teammate Cesc Fabregas another one who could be in the discussion.
But after delivering European football to Como for the very first time, journalist Fabrizio Romano says that Fabregas will be going nowhere this summer.
Fabregas set to stay at Como
The anger from Liverpool fans at seeing Alonso head to Chelsea will be exacerbated if, as he likely will, the Spaniard succeeds at Stamford Bridge.
However, the truth of the matter appears to be that the Liverpool owners, for whatever reason, do not want the former Real Madrid boss in charge.
There remains a chance that Slot does not make it through the summer – or to the end of the next season – though, which means they do have to be thinking ahead about who could follow the Dutchman into the dugout.
While Fabregas may well be in the thinking, Romano took to his Italian language YouTube channel to confirm that the 38-year-old will not be leaving Como in the immediate future.
“Cesc Fabregas will not leave Como this summer,” he said. “There had been a lot of talk about Chelsea abroad, and even in Italy Cesc Fabregas had been linked as a possible Chelsea manager.
“I can say that Fabregas has never been in contact with Chelsea, not because he is not appreciated, in fact I can assure you that Cesc is certainly on the list of emerging young coaches of the best clubs in the world, there’s no doubt about that.”
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“But Chelsea hasn’t moved because they know that Fabregas isn’t leaving, that he has chosen the Como project with conviction. He is already working behind the scenes with the Como management to identify the right players, add some pieces as Como will be in Europe.”
Who is available this summer?
Alonso’s imminent arrival at Chelsea is the latest strong indication that Slot is indeed going nowhere this summer.
Should the Reds change their mind, though, if they fail to qualify for next season’s Champions League, for example, there are still a couple of good candidates available to them.
Andoni Iraola is perhaps the standout name, and it will be fascinating to see where the Basque ends up after leaving Bournemouth.
Sebastian Hoeness is another who seems to be gaining popularity among Liverpool fans, with the Stuttgart manager seemingly the closest thing to Jurgen Klopp in the current footballing landscape.
Perhaps Fabregas could still be on the shortlist if Liverpool need a new manager at some point next season, or when Slot’s contract expires in 2027. For now, though, he is not leaving Como.
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