As Liverpool prepare to leave Jurgen Klopp, the summer move window will be key, and it may be Arne Slot who makes the big decisions.
Feyenoord manager Slot has emerged as the leading candidate to take the reins when Klopp ends his nine-year tenure this summer. The Dutchman, who turned down Spurs before the London club signed Ange Postecoglou, is expected to get his win last season through full time for PSV Eindhoven this season.
Michael Edwards’ return will likely have a say in any move deal over the summer, but Klopp is concerned about Edwards’ future. Slot has overseen a significant turnover of players over the past 12 months, just as Klopp did with his midfield rebuild at Anfield, and knows how to integrate starters into a team.
Feyenoord have signed more than 10 players, permanently or on loan, since the summer of 2023. Here, Mirror Football has taken a look at the last 10 to get an idea of what Liverpool enthusiasts can expect if the 45-year-old arrives.
Slot’s recent top signing is a player who has yet to sign for Feyenoord. Algerian striker Hadj Moussa will arrive this summer, just a few months after making his Eredivisie debut on loan at Vitesse.
The 22-year-old has two goals and two assists in all competitions in the Netherlands, after starting the season in the Belgian second division. His arrival suggests the willingness of a player with limited experience at the most sensitive point, as long as The Promise is there.
Another youngster, Van Sas, joined Manchester City’s youth academy in September. The 20-year-old goalkeeper is yet to make his Feyenoord debut and has been on the bench in the Champions League and Europa League this season.
The Dutch under-19 foreigner revealed in his presentation that he was spotted at the Rotterdam club as a teenager. The previous refusals do not seem to be an impediment to future agreements.
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Ivanusec, the first call-up to the Feyenoord squad at the time of writing, joined Dinamo Zagreb at home Croatia. The winger has played 3 times for his country at Euro 2020, so it seems that Slot is willing to add more experienced figures when the value is right.
Ivanusec, who arrived for just £6. 7m (according to Transfermarkt), suffered injuries this season and still controlled 20 league games. He scored a hat-trick for Dinamo in Champions League qualifying, but scored once in the Eredivisie.
Lingr, 25, was loaned out for a season from Slavia Prague in August. Another foreigner in his own right, the attacking midfielder arrived with a record for goal contributions from a retired position, with successive double-digit seasons in the Czech Republic.
It has been used extensively as well as in paper number 10, but Slot has so far been frugal with it. All 21 of Lingr’s starts have come off the bench, with the guy in position to let the new kid work for his first outing.
Dutch defender Nieuwkoop joins from Union SG, where he spent last season alongside Brighton winger Simon Adingra. The 28-year-old started at Feyenoord without a first-team place, but Slot is in a position to give him a second chance.
While the early part of his season was interrupted by injury, Nieuwkoop has played more since the start of the year. He made four appearances in the race for KNVB Cup glory, achieving victory over NEC in the final.
Lamprou is the player who demonstrates the willingness of the Slots to offer a second chance. The Greek goalkeeper returned to De Kuip nine years after his departure, after playing through the two most sensible categories of Dutch football.
Liverpool manager Klopp has not been afraid to sign experienced backup goalkeepers for free, with Adrian and Alex Manninger among those arriving at Anfield during his tenure. With the former out of contract this summer, could there be room for another similar deal?
Ueda, the most expensive signing on the list, still costs just £6. 9 million. The Japanese foreigner was part of his country’s squad for the 2022 World Cup, but he was not among the star names. He was more of a star-waiting when he moved to Rotterdam.
Like many others, the striker basically served as a substitute despite scoring 22 goals in Belgium last season, two of them in less than 500 minutes in the Eredivisie. However, he had a good Asian Cup and completed the tournament as his country’s top scorer, with four goals in as many games as a starter.
Dutch foreigner Stengs was one of the favourites when he left SLOT AZ for Nice in 2021. It didn’t work out for him in Ligue 1, but Slot wasn’t going to turn down the opportunity to reunite with the 25-year-old.
Stengs has doubled his assists this season, with only PSV duo Luuk de Jong and Joey Veerman surpassing his total. He also has five league goals, plus one in the Champions League win over Celtic, suggesting the reunion has gone well so far.
Young defender Beelen charges Feyenoord just £2. 3m, going through the same PEC Zwolle production line that produced current Liverpool defender Sepp van den Berg. A tall centre-back, as Klopp likes, the 22-year-old has appeared in more than one place. of Feyenoord’s matches this season.
Liverpool will have to make decisions at centre-back level, including whether they will sign Joel Matip for a new contract and how Virgil van Dijk enters the final year of his own contract. Klopp hasn’t been afraid to accept it as true with youth, and slots are rarely very different.
Speaking of youth, 19-year-old Minteh supported despite his young age. Liverpool probably wouldn’t want to try their luck with youngsters from the more sensible teams, but Gambia foreigner Minteh has enjoyed his season on loan from Newcastle.
With nine goals in the league, the winger is second in the scoring charts for the Santiago Gimenez club, which is linked to the Premier League. Liverpool have benefited hugely from away goals, so it may be music to the fans’ ears.
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