Arne Slot: Feyenoord boss at forefront of Liverpool’s search for Jurgen Klopp successor

Arne Slot is at the forefront of Liverpool’s search for a replacement for Jurgen Klopp.

The Feyenoord head coach ticks all their key criteria for the position, although Sky Sports News understands the process is not a foregone conclusion, with the Eredivisie club determined to keep Slot.

There is also interest from other top clubs and Liverpool are still in dialogue with several options, but the 45-year-old is a strong candidate.

Slot, who secured the KNVB Cup last weekend and led Feyenoord to their first title in six years last season, appeals to Liverpool due to his aggressive, full-throttle style.

He has drilled his team to be adept at turning defensive actions into shooting opportunities and they top the Eredivisie for tackles won in the opposition’s final third.

Feyenoord have the best defence in the league and the second-best offensive metrics.

Slot has proved capable of improving individuals as well as the collective, while operating on a smaller budget than his core competitors, and his penchant for a 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-3 formation fits Liverpool’s squad.

Slot has previously been approached by Tottenham, Chelsea and Leeds. He signed a new contract last May to keep him at Feyenoord until 2026 but has referenced a desire to make the next step in his career.

Compensation is anticipated to be in the region of £9m if a deal is to be closed.

Sporting manager Ruben Amorim was under consideration by Liverpool but sources say he is no longer in the frame, as it stands.

West Ham are interested in Amorim but Julen Lopetegui, the former Wolves, Real Madrid and Spain boss, and Paulo Fonseca, currently in charge of Lille, are considered the frontrunners.

‘Slot brings crazy, sexy football’

Slot took over from Dick Advocaat at Feyenoord for the start of the 21/22 season with the club having finished fifth the previous campaign. Just two years later, they were champions of the Eredivisie. He built a pressing team playing intense, attack-minded football while also being able to win.

Feyenoord are second behind PSV Eindhoven this season, nine points adrift with four games to play. In Europe they finished third in their Champions League group before dropping into the Europa League where they were knocked out by Roma on penalties in February.

Speaking to Sky Sports Dutch football journalist Marcel van der Kraan said: “He is the prime candidate for Liverpool. It was only a matter of time before another big English club would come knocking on the door. He’s not only been a successful manager, he’s also been hugely impressive with his playing style of very attack-minded, Pep Guardiola-style football.

“I don’t expect Feyenoord to stand in the way. They know he’s a manager in demand but they will demand a big compensation fee. He has two years left on his contract that was a record deal.

“Never before in Dutch football has a team paid a manager such huge wages. The players like him, the fans love him, the club love him – they won’t want him to go. Feyenoord have every right to demand a big fee as there is no clause in his contract which he renewed last year.

“He’s been a successful coach and made Feyenoord champions playing crazy, sexy football. It is sexy what this man brings on a football pitch. There’s nothing more to win for him here. The next step for him is to enter a club in a big league and no league is bigger for the Dutch than the Premier League. I will be surprised if Slot doesn’t bite at this chance and become the manger of Liverpool next season.”

What has Slot said about managing in Premier League?

Last summer, Slot was one of the leading contenders for the then-vacant Tottenham manager’s role and Sky Sports News reporter Gary Cotterill went to Rotterdam to cover the story.

Cotterill found Slot to be “engaging, polite, very smiley, he’s got presence and charisma – and he’s funny” when writing about his trip to get the lowdown on the Feyenoord boss, who has been open about his desire to manage in the Premier League.

“My next step will not be a club in Holland,” he said in May 2023.

“If that is my next step, then I’ve failed completely. The normal next step will be to go abroad and I’ve always said the best league in the world is the Premier League.”

What happened with Tottenham’s approach for Slot?

Spurs were determined to get Slot last summer after he secured the Eredivisie title with Feyenoord.

However, Slot ruled himself out of the running to take over in north London before signing a new contract at Feyenoord a few days later which runs until 2026.

“I’m not done here yet,” Slot said after the announcement of his new deal.

The potential deal with Spurs never got to any formal stage of discussions with him or Feyenoord and Spurs’ bosses felt that Slot used their interest in him to get an improved contract in the Netherlands.

Ange Postecoglou was eventually appointed by Spurs from Celtic.

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