Arne Slot is at the forefront of Liverpool’s search for a replacement for Jurgen Klopp.
The Feyenoord head coach ticks all their key criteria for the position, although Sky Sports News understands the process is not a foregone conclusion, with the Eredivisie club determined to keep Slot.
There is also interest from other top clubs and Liverpool are still in dialogue with several options, but the 45-year-old is a strong candidate.
Slot, who secured the KNVB Cup last weekend and led Feyenoord to their first title in six years last season, appeals to Liverpool due to his aggressive, full-throttle style.
He has drilled his team to be adept at turning defensive actions into shooting opportunities and they top the Eredivisie for tackles won in the opposition’s final third.
Feyenoord have the best defence in the league and the second-best offensive metrics.
Slot has proved capable of improving individuals as well as the collective, while operating on a smaller budget than his core competitors, and his penchant for a 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-3 formation fits Liverpool’s squad.
Slot has previously been approached by Tottenham, Chelsea and Leeds. He signed a new contract last May to keep him at Feyenoord until 2026 but has referenced a desire to make the next step in his career.
Compensation is anticipated to be in the region of £9m if a deal is to be closed.
Sporting manager Ruben Amorim was under consideration by Liverpool but sources say he is no longer in the frame, as it stands.
West Ham are interested in Amorim but Julen Lopetegui, the former Wolves, Real Madrid and Spain boss, and Paulo Fonseca, currently in charge of Lille, are considered the frontrunners.
What has Slot said about managing in Premier League?
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Feyenoord head coach Slot revealed his admiration for the Premier League last May when he was previously linked with a job at Tottenham
Last summer, Slot was one of the leading contenders for the then-vacant Tottenham manager’s role and Sky Sports News reporter Gary Cotterill went to Rotterdam to cover the story.
Cotterill found Slot to be “engaging, polite, very smiley, he’s got presence and charisma – and he’s funny” when writing about his trip to get the lowdown on the Feyenoord boss, who has been open about his desire to manage in the Premier League.
“My next step will not be a club in Holland,” he said in May 2023.
“If that is my next step, then I’ve failed completely. The normal next step will be to go abroad and I’ve always said the best league in the world is the Premier League.”
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