Mark Ogden is weighing up the possibility of Arne Slot replacing Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool (2:29).
Liverpool know Feyenoord manager Arne Slot as one of the leading candidates to succeed Jurgen Klopp as manager after cooling their interest in Sporting CP manager Ruben Amorim, sources told ESPN.
While prime target Xabi Alonso last month declared himself out of the race to return to the club he represented as a player by opting to play for new Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen again, Slot has overtaken Brighton’s Amorim and Roberto De Zerbi in the race. To upgrade Klopp.
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However, sources have said Liverpool expect a war with Barcelona and Bayern Munich over Slot’s appointment and plan to continue evaluating other candidates.
Klopp, who has won the Champions League and Premier League with Liverpool since replacing Brfinishan Rodgers at Anfield in October 2015, announced in January that he would step down at the end of that season.
Following Klopp’s shock announcement (the 56-year-old informed Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) of his resolution last November, Liverpool chief executive Billy Hogan said the club would adopt a “data-driven” technique to locate a new club director. .
Former sporting director Michael Edwards returned to Anfield last month as head of football operations with the duty of identifying and hiring Klopp’s successor, and resources told ESPN that Slot, who guided Feyenoord to the Dutch name last season, has a serious name contender working at Liverpool.
Slot, 45, turned down advances from Chelsea and Tottenham in the Premier League last season to stay at Feyenoord. He signed a new three-year contract with the Rotterdam side in May 2023, committing to the club until 2026.
Sources told ESPN that Liverpool’s hierarchy, led by Edwards and Hogan, believe Slot meets all of their criteria in terms of style of play, personality and ability to function within the club’s structure.
At Anfield it is accepted that Feyenoord will try to keep Slot, but there are also hopes that the lure of the Premier League will trap the former AZ Alkmaar manager to seize the opportunity to move to England.
Liverpool are in the Premier League, pointing to problems with leaders Arsenal and facing a derby against Merseyside rivals Everton at Goodison Park on Wednesday.