Liverpool are moving closer to appointing Arne Slot as their new manager after reaching an agreement with Dutch club Feyenoord, sources confirmed. Slot, aged 45, expressed his eagerness to join Liverpool, as he was identified as the preferred candidate to replace Jurgen Klopp, who will step down at the end of the season after 8½ years in charge. The two clubs have settled on a compensation deal, though the exact amount has not been publicly disclosed. Feyenoord had initially sought £9 million ($11.25 million) for Slot, but an agreement has now been reached, allowing Liverpool to proceed with contract negotiations.
Slot, who signed a three-year deal with Feyenoord last year after leading the club to an Eredivisie title, had previously turned down offers from Leeds United and Tottenham Hotspur to stay in Rotterdam. However, Slot confirmed his desire to move to Liverpool, stating, “The only thing I can say about it is that the clubs are in negotiations. And then you sit in the waiting room and wait for what will come out. It seems clear to me that I would like to go to Liverpool. Now I’m waiting to see whether the clubs reach an agreement. I’m very confident in that.”
He became the leading candidate for the Liverpool job after Xabi Alonso decided to remain at Bayer Leverkusen, and the club’s interest in Sporting CP’s Rúben Amorim cooled. Speaking about Slot on Friday, Klopp praised his style of play and character, saying, “I like the way his team plays football. All the things I heard about him as a guy, a good guy, some people I know him; I don’t know him yet, but some people tell me that he’s a really good guy, and I like that a lot. Good coach, good guy — looking forward to the club if he is the solution.”
