Virgil van Dijk on Liverpool’s interest in Arne Slot: “With the way he plays and the philosophy he has, he can be a Liverpool coach”

After Liverpool’s shock Merseyside derby defeat, Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk was asked about his opinion on Feyenoord manager Arne Slot. The 45-year-old head coach has emerged as the favourite to succeed Jürgen Klopp this summer, raising some questions around whether he’s got what it takes to lead the pack at Anfield.

Jürgen Klopp’s remarkable reign as Liverpool boss seems to be coming to a sour end as the Reds have suffered three defeats in their last five games across all competitions, including Wednesday night’s 2-0 defeat to Everton. With Liverpool sliding out of the Premier League title race, Arne Slot has entered the picture.

’I think slot is one of the better Dutch coaches at the moment,’ Virgil van Dijk told Viaplay. ‘With the way he plays, the philosophy he has, he can be a Liverpool coach. But I read and hear that it is far from complete. We shall see. We will focus on that next season. We’re still a long way off.’

Liverpool face West Ham, Tottenham, Aston Villa and Wolves in their remaining four games this season. Title rivals Manchester City face Brighton & Hove Albion on Thursday night, which could put an end to Liverpool’s title chances if Pep Guardiola’s men claim all three points. Arsenal remain in top spot after their 5-0 thrashing of Chelsea.