Top Liverpool insider CALLS OUT Gary Neville over bogus Arne Slot claims

Gary Neville has been firmly put in his place by a top journalist after making a false Liverpool claim. The Sky Sports presenter believes Arne Slot wasn’t the first choice at Anfield.

Gary Neville has repeatedly pushed the idea that Liverpool really didn’t want to hire Arne Slot. Instead, they had other names in mind and worked hard to hire one of those instead.

Xabi Alonso is at the top of that list, with claims around Ruben Amorim in there for good measure. Here he is (at 40 minutes), claiming Liverpool tried for a long time to hire Alonso from Bayer Leverkusen earlier this year.

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But The Times’ Paul Joyce is adamant that this isn’t the case. He says Liverpool did ask about Xabi Alonso and were told immediately that he wouldn’t be going anywhere.

The Spaniard was off the shortlist from the very beginning. Maybe Liverpool would have ended up having Alonso as their first choice and the one they wanted above all else - but it never reached a stage where they’d make that decision.

"Early in their search, however, Liverpool’s inquiries meant they already knew Alonso was not considering changing clubs for at least another season,” writes Joyce.

"That gave them cover to work quietly, while outwardly the clamour grew, and the reality is that Slot was the only coach to whom Richard Hughes, director of football, offered the job, regardless of what Gary Neville may suggest he knew."

Liverpool wanted Arne Slot

The episode of the Overlap above shows Jamie Carragher incredulous with Neville over the idea that Slot wasn't the main pick for Liverpool. He was right to be.

Neville has repeated the claim a good few times, including on Sky, but it appears he's plucked it out of thin air. At the very least, he's adding things together he doesn't entirely understand.

Arne Slot was the pick for Liverpool and while the process took a while, it's only because the club wanted to be sure. Now look where that's got them.

Slot was a dream pick, has the Reds flying, and everything worked out flawlessly. Even if Neville believes that wasn't the plan.

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