Liverpool opened negotiations with Feyenoord manager Arne Slot on Wednesday and the two parties have moved very close to wrapping the deal.
According to multiple journalists, the two clubs are very close to agreeing on a compensation fee for Arne Slot along with some minor contractual details. The Anfield outfit held talks with several candidates but Slot seems to be the closest to what Liverpool have been searching for. As per reports, Feyenoord want at least £8.6 million to release their manager but Liverpool might have to end up paying around £13 million because Arne also wants to bring his backroom staff to the club.
On Friday, Jurgen Klopp praised Slot and his style of football at Feyenoord and unless something breaks down at the final moment, the 45-year-old is set to become the next Liverpool manager.
Klopp said at a press conference: “I like the way his team plays football. All the things I hear about him as a guy, good guy. Some people I know know him, I don’t, but some people tell me he’s a really good guy.
“So good coach, good guy, looking forward for the club if he’s the solution. It’s not up to me to judge, but it all sounds really good to me.”
What brand of football will Arne Slot bring to Liverpool next season?
Jurgen Klopp’s brand of heavy metal football brought in a new wave of positivity at Liverpool and Arne Slot believes in a similar approach. Under Klopp, Liverpool have become a force to reckon with, in the Premier League and also in Europe and if Slot can do things his way then this tag won’t be going anywhere.
Looking at Slot’s tactics, the manager focuses and insists on building from the back, right from his goalkeeper. He urges his defenders to make quick passes in and around his their box to avoid a high press from the opposition team. His goalkeeper and his defenders are always looking for the free man in the middle.
Arne Slot is generally known to use a double pivot in defensive midfield and that allows his full-backs to play in a much more advanced position. The two full-backs can then join in to squeeze the opponents higher up the pitch and force them into a mistake.
Another major talking point about Feyenoord is their players’ ability to maintain the pressure and energy during the final quarter of matches. Usually, teams wither and try to park the bus towards the end of games but Arne Slot is very particular about his team’s physicality and stamina – throughout the 90 minutes. In the Dutch league, Arne Slot is famous for his ‘go big or go home’ style of football because if his team is trailing in a match, the 45-year-old won’t mind throwing the kitchen sink for the final 10-20 minutes.
He’s been with Feyenoord since 2021 and to date, he’s lost only 24 matches out of the 145 that he’s managed for the Dutch side. Slot currently has a win percentage of 65 and Feyenoord are comfortably going to finish second on the Eredivisie table this season. Feyenoord have won 23 out of the 31 league games that they have played this campaign and two of their biggest results came against Ajax. They did the double over Ajax, beating them 4-0 away from home and then 6-0 at the Stadion Feijenoord earlier this month.
Succeeding Jurgen Klopp is definitely going to be a big ask for any manager no matter how experienced he is but with Arne Slot, Liverpool will be able to name a manager who has a playing style that’s not too far off from the German’s. This means the players will not have to adapt too much and the management might not have to undertake a major squad rehaul, as is the case with every other big club when they appoint a new manager.
Stats and other details courtesy of Fotmob and this amazing Reddit post.
