Liverpool’s title defence has stumbled badly this season.
Their 3-0 humiliation at the hands of Manchester City marked a second successive defeat before the international break, following a 2-1 loss to Crystal Palace in September.
After 11 matches, Arne Slot’s side sit eighth in the Premier League table, eight points behind leaders Arsenal.
Despite encouraging back-to-back wins over Aston Villa and Real Madrid earlier in the campaign, the Reds now appear to have lost their footing once again.
Sunday’s defeat to City has intensified the pressure on Arne Slot, who has been forced to dampen any talk of a title challenge for the time being.
While the Dutchman still retains the backing of the Liverpool board, a list of managers reportedly considered before his appointment has now surfaced.
According to the Daily Mail, before Fenway Sports Group opted for the former Feyenoord coach, they explored moves for Stuttgart boss Sebastian Hoeneß and Roberto De Zerbi, who left Brighton earlier this year and is now in charge at Marseille.
Girona’s Michel, Athletic Bilbao manager Ernesto Valverde and Luciano Spalletti – then Italy coach and now at Juventus – were also discussed.
The report suggests Liverpool could revisit those names should Slot eventually leave, though such a scenario remains unlikely at present.
Crystal Palace’s Oliver Glasner and Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola are also highlighted as managers attracting attention, while Rayo Vallecano’s Inigo Perez is noted for his rising reputation and progressive coaching style.
French legend Zinedine Zidane, out of work since leaving Real Madrid in 2021, is mentioned as well, although he has previously shown little interest in managing in the Premier League.
Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany is another name linked, though any move to Liverpool appears improbable given the strong expectation that he could one day succeed Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.
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