Following his sacking from Real Madrid, many suspect Xabi Alonso could make his return to managment with Liverpool this summer, given the drastic drop in form from last seasons title winning campaign and the uncertainty surrounding current manager Arne Slot. Alonso is reportedly already preparing his transfer wishlist for the summer should he take over, with one Real Madrid player at the top of his list.
As reported by TEAMtalk, Xabi Alonso has reportedly told Liverpool he wants to sign Arda Guler this summer should the Premier League side appoint him as their new manager.
Alonso wants to grab Guler for Liverpool
When Alonso was appointed Real manager, one of his main goals was to make Guler a central part of his system after the Turkish international struggled to make an impact in his first two seasons at the club, and he succeeded. Guler was one of the first names on the team sheet and managed to grab three goals and eight assists during the Spaniard's time in charge.
Guler is exactly the kind of playmaker Alonso loves to have in his system, just like Florian Wirtz at Bayer Leverkusen, so it's not a huge surprise that the Spaniard would want to bring one of his favorite players with him to his new role. That being said, many have questions about where Guler would fit into the Liverpool team, given the players they already have at the attacking midfield position.
Alonso's former Leverkusen star Wirtz is already at the Premier League side as is Dominik Szoboszlai, who has been Liverpool's best and most consistent player this season, no coach is going to play a system with three attacking midfielders, so how exactly Guler would fit in remains unknown.
Transfermarkt currently values Guler at €90 million, and Real would likely ask for a fee around that amount to part ways with the 20-year-old. If any transfer were to happen, one possibility could be a potential swap deal.
Los Blancos have long shown interest in Dominik Szoboszlai, so Real could consider a swap deal, sending a Turkish international for a Hungarian international, as Real Madrid looks to revamp its midfield in the summer as well. Guler has been at the club since 2023, and departing after only two years would be a shock to many, but in the crazy world of football, anything can happen at any time.
Guler has made 38 appearances across competitions this season, posting three goals and 12 assists. He has been given regular game time this season amid Jude Bellingham's injury.