Liverpool make Feyenoord boss Arne Slot their preferred choice to succeed Jürgen Klopp

According to David Ornstein, Liverpool have made Arne Slot their preferred choice to succeed Jürgen Klopp when the German departs this summer. The Reds made Slot their number one target earlier this week after moves for Sporting Lisbon’s Ruben Amorim and Bayer Leverkusen’s Xabi Alonso were seemingly ruled out. Liverpool officially began negotiations with Feyenoord this week, and their 45-year-old head coach is said to be ‘enthusiastic’ about a potential move.

Liverpool are still eyeing other candidates for the manager role, but Arne Slot is their top target. The Dutchman helped guide Feyenoord to just their second Eredivisie title in 20 years last season and on Sunday, the Rotterdam club lifted their 14th KNVB Cup, beating NEC Nijmegen 1-0 in the final. Slot was approached by Tottenham last year before they appointed Ange Postecoglou as head coach.

As a player, Arne Slot spent his entire career in the Netherlands, featuring in midfield for PEC Zwolle, NAC Breda and Sparta Rotterdam. After hanging up his boots in 2013 at PEC Zwolle, Slot took up coaching roles at the club before being appointed as an assistant coach at Cambuur. In 2017, he joined AZ Alkmaar, initially working as an assistant before being appointed as head coach two years later. The Eredivisie was cancelled during his first season in charge due to Covid, but Slot guided the club to second place, level on points with Ajax in top spot. Feyenoord came calling in 2021, and over the last three years Slot has transformed them into a powerhouse in European football.