“I want to coach Liverpool” – top managerial target issues bold plea to club
Liverpool have been looking for a new manager since head coach Jurgen Klopp announced he will leave the club at the end of the season.
The Reds have identified Feyenoord’s Arne Slot as the top target for the job, and the Dutchman is equally keen on a move to Merseyside.
Ahead of their Eredivisie clash with Go Ahead Eagles tonight, Slot announced his interest in the job to ESPN.
“It seems clear to me that I would like to work there,” Slot declared as Feyenoord looked set to continue their pursuit of first-placed PSV Eindhoven.
“All I can say about it is that the clubs are in negotiations. I’m in the waiting room.”
Slot added that he is confident both clubs can find a resolution after the Eredivisie side rejected Liverpool’s opening offer.
Liverpool will need to negotiate a transfer fee with Feyenoord to secure Slot’s services, as his contract does not include a release clause for this summer.
There is a clause allowing him to leave next year, but the Reds want to secure their man sooner rather than later.
The 45-year-old came to prominence when he took charge of a struggling Az Alkmaar team that finished 30 points behind Ajax in the 2018/19 season.
In his very first season, he had them competing with a super talented Ajax team.
He left for Feyenoord and guided them to the 2022/23 Eredivisie title.
His success has not gone unnoticed. Premier League sides Tottenham Hotspur and Leeds United were linked to him, but he decided to stay at Feyenoord and helped them clinch the KNVB Cup days ago.
Liverpool captain and Netherlands international Virgil van Dijk has already endorsed Slot, calling him “one of the better Dutch coaches at the moment.”
Slot’s attacking style, strong personality, and ability to nurture young talent make him the ideal fit for Liverpool.
Liverpool fans will be eager to see if he can replicate his early success at Anfield and fill Klopp’s big boots.