Liverpool are in negotiations with Feyenoord about appointing Slot as Jurgen Klopp's replacement
Feyenoord coach Arne Slot(Image credit: Getty Images)
Liverpool are on the verge of appointing Arne Slot as their new manager, after the Feyenoord boss spoke openly about replacing Jurgen Klopp at Anfield.
The two clubs opened negotiations regarding Slot’s potential appointment on Wednesday, as the Reds’ search for the outgoing Klopp’s successor is stepped up.
Speaking ahead of his side’s win Eredivisie victory over Go Ahead Eagles, Slot said he was "confident" that a deal can be reached.
Jurgen Klopp will leave the club this summer (Image credit: Getty Images)
“It seems clear to me that I would like to work there,” Slot told ESPN on Thursday evening.
“The clubs are negotiating, so I am still on hold. We are waiting for an agreement to be reached, but I am confident of that.”
Slot has a release clause in his current deal with Feyenoord, but it cannot be activated until 2025, meaning that Liverpool will need to negotiate a fee for his services.
News of Liverpool’s interest in Slot emerged earlier this week, with the 45-year-old having won last season’s Eredivisie title, plus the Dutch Cup this year. He has previously been linked with vacancies at Tottenham and Leeds United.
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Van Dijk would welcome Slot arriving as manager (Image credit: Getty Images)
Should Slot get the nod, then he will have the seal of approval from his compatriot Virgil can Dijk.
"I find it hard to answer of course, but I think Arne Slot is perhaps one of the better Dutch coaches at this moment,” Van Dijk said after his team’s defeat to Everton on Wednesday.
"I think the way of playing and the philosophy he has, that he could be a Liverpool coach. Only I think from what I read and hear is that it's still far from being completed. We shall see."
Klopp announced back in January that he would be stepping down at the end of the current season, ending a nine-year stint in charge at Anfield in which he has won seven major trophies, including the Premier League and Champions League.
For more than a decade Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor, with stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others. He is the author of four football history books that include tomes on Leeds United and the England national team.
