Liverpool’s second season under Arne Slot has been described as “unacceptable” by many associated with the club, yet reports indicate the owners remain willing to continue with the Dutch manager into next term. The Athletic report that Fenway Sports Group currently have no plans to part company with Slot. That reported backing is linked heavily to the Premier League title Slot delivered in his first season, leaving the 47-year-old with significant credit at the club and, according to the report, a chance to right matters.

Those close to the club cite mitigating circumstances behind the decline. The tragic death of Diogo Jota last summer is named as a major blow. An erratic transfer window is also blamed for leaving last season’s title-winning group unbalanced. The departures of Luis Díaz and Trent Alexander-Arnold are singled out as particular losses to squad harmony and balance.

Xabi Alonso is identified in the piece as a realistic alternative should FSG change course. The former Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid manager is reportedly available, and would be considered among leading candidates if Slot were dismissed.

The central challenge facing Slot is recovering supporter faith. He is credited for securing the Premier League trophy and for overseeing a smooth managerial handover after Jürgen Klopp, but patience among a core of fans has diminished. The team has often lacked a clear identity this season, appearing passive defensively, outworked in midfield and blunt in the final third. Several key players have regressed in form, with Mohamed Salah, Alexis Mac Allister and Ibrahima Konaté cited as examples. Dominik Szoboszlai is noted as the sole player performing above last season’s standards.

There are few hopeful signs for supporters, with the squad described as bereft of confidence and ideas and performances remaining uninspiring week after week. Observers argue Slot has not yet found remedies for the widespread problems. The article concludes by noting Liverpool’s squad shape and recent signings could suit Xabi Alonso’s preferred 3-4-2-1, and that Jeremie Frimpong and Florian Wirtz featured under Alonso at Leverkusen.

The second half of the 2025-26 season has already produced a steady stream of kit reveals and leaks for 2026-27. Across the division, manufacturers and clubs are leaning on retro references, subtle details and new commercial partners.

Arsenal’s reported home shirt appears traditional at first glance but carries small refinements. The design reportedly includes a burgundy collar with a zig-zag pattern and multiple shades of red. There is also discussion that golden Premier League badges could be applied to the home attire for the campaign.

Aston Villa’s leaked home kit takes a clear step back in time. The design is said to draw on the club’s 1969 attire and will feature a sky blue collar on a polo-style shirt. The choice is notable given Villa’s position around the bottom end of the Second Division in that era and their relegation to the third tier in 1970.

Bournemouth have agreed a new multi-year partnership with Hummel, described as a club-record kit deal. The Cherries have moved away from Umbro and the new supplier will coincide with a fresh front-of-shirt partner for the 2026-27 season.

Brentford will replace Hollywood Bets with Indeed as principal sponsor. Teasers show the club retaining its classic red and white stripes while a subtle wave motif has been worked into the fabric.

Chelsea’s expected home shirt uses sharp yellow accents known as Midwest Gold to cut through royal blue. The club’s lion badge may be layered across the centre and could gain prominence if a permanent front-of-shirt sponsor is not secured. IFS, signed in February, is due to expire at the end of the season, a commercial gap that has had financial consequences for the club.

Leeds United are set to wear horizontal stripes at home for the first time in the club’s history. Designers appear to have taken some inspiration from the 2005-06 Admiral shirt, which featured vertical blue and yellow pinstripes.

Liverpool’s leaks point to a darker take on the Candy-sponsored shirt of 1989-91. That vintage coincided with the club�s last long spell of domestic dominance, capped by the 1989-90 title, a 10th crown in 15 seasons before a 30-year wait for the next.

Manchester City’s home shirt looks largely traditional with a fade from sky blue to white at the hem, which could encourage some fans to pair it with white shorts. Manchester United mock-ups featuring Bruno Fernandes attracted attention after the Red Devils’ feel-good derby victory that marked Michael Carrick’s debut of his second spell. The leaked United shirt shows a clean collar and white accents.

Newcastle’s proposed design keeps stripes as the defining element but experiments with varying bar widths and narrowing black stripes that bleed out from each large section, a pattern some observers liken to a Doppler effect visual.

Liverpool face a goalkeeper crossroads as Alisson’s long-term future at the club looks uncertain. The 33-year-old has been limited by injuries in each of the last three seasons and is heavily linked with a return to Serie A, with Juventus touted as a possible destination. That backdrop, and wider turnover at the club with Mohamed Salah reportedly leaving next month and Virgil van Dijk out of contract in 2027, means Liverpool must consider what comes next.

The most straightforward option is the player already signed as part of the succession plan. Liverpool moved for Giorgi Mamardashvili after his displays for Georgia at Euro 2024 and secured the deal from Valencia a year ahead of time. He eventually made the switch from Valencia last summer, but a patchy first season and a poor end to 2024–25 have left supporters unsure he can supplant Alisson immediately. The chance to cement his claim arrived during Alisson’s recent absence but Mamardashvili was injured himself. Logistically and financially he is the easier choice, though whether that would be Liverpool ‘settling’ for second best is another debate.

Paris Saint-Germain’s Lucas Chevalier is another name mooted. Only a year ago he was Ligue 1 Goalkeeper of the Year ahead of Gianluigi Donnarumma, and PSG paid an initial $47 million to Lille. Chevalier endured a disastrous first season with PSG, was permanently dropped at the end of January and Matfey Safonov has not relinquished the gloves. PSG could fund an approach by selling Chevalier, who might benefit from a career reset.

Emiliano Martínez has been linked with moves away before. He “basically said goodbye to Aston Villa at the end of last season,” a transfer did not materialise and he stayed. The two-time Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper hoped to join Manchester United last year but that is no longer an option. From an age perspective he is a short-term fix and is a few weeks older than Alisson, though he brings 211 Premier League appearances since 2020.

Finally, there are younger Premier League-proven options. Brighton & Hove Albion’s Bart Verbruggen, 23, has matched Alisson’s nine clean sheets in 2025–26 and his side have conceded 42 goals in 35 matches. Sunderland’s Robin Roefs is mentioned as a potentially more affordable alternative. Đorđe Petrović, back in the Premier League with Bournemouth, has one more clean sheet (10) than Verbruggen and Alisson as the Cherries chase their highest ever league finish.