Following Jurgen Klopp’s announcement in January that he would step down at the end of the season, Liverpool has been on the hunt for a new manager. Xabi Alonso, the manager of Bayer Leverkusen, was initially considered the favorite, but he ultimately decided to remain with the Bundesliga team for at least one more season. Ruben Amorim, the head coach of Sporting Lisbon, quickly became the new frontrunner, but it now seems unlikely that he will be appointed as Liverpool’s next manager.
Within the past 48 hours, Feyenoord’s Slot has emerged as the top contender to succeed Klopp at the helm of the Reds ahead of the 2024–25 campaign. According to the Daily Mail, Liverpool may announce Slot’s appointment as their new manager before the weekend, with negotiations progressing swiftly. The report indicates that the Reds made their first compensation offer for the Feyenoord manager on Wednesday, despite the absence of a release clause in his contract.
Slot’s existing contract has two years remaining, and it is believed that an offer of at least £10 million would be necessary to persuade him to leave De Kuip. If the Dutchman is appointed as Liverpool’s new manager, he is likely to bring several members of his coaching staff with him, including his assistant Sipke Hulshoff.
Without any official explanation, Slot’s pre-match press conference for Thursday’s match against Go Ahead Eagles was abruptly canceled, leaving it unclear whether the cancellation was related to the ongoing speculation surrounding his future.
Slot began his full-time managerial career in the summer of 2019, transitioning from his assistant role to become the manager of AZ Alkmaar. The 45-year-old spent approximately 18 months with the Eredivisie team before being dismissed in December 2020 due to alleged discussions with Feyenoord regarding their managerial position.
After taking over as Feyenoord manager in the summer of 2021, Slot led the team to the Europa Conference League final in his first season in charge. Slot subsequently guided the Dutch giants to the 2022–23 Eredivisie title, ending Feyenoord’s six-year wait for a league championship. The Feyenoord manager recently claimed his second major trophy as a manager, as his team prevailed 1–0 over NEC in Sunday’s KNVB Beker final.
