Marco van Basten has endorsed Arne Slot as a potential replacement for Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool manager this summer.
Slot has impressed at Feyenoord, guiding them to their first Eredivisie title in six years last season and the KNVB Cup this weekend. He was linked with Tottenham last year but opted to sign a new three-year deal with Feyenoord.
‘I think he’s really good,’ Van Basten said of Slot on Ziggo Sport’s ‘Rondo’. ‘I hope he stays in the Netherlands longer because it is an enrichment for Dutch football. He can really go anywhere – Bayern Munich, Liverpool… I’m really convinced of that.
‘I’ve spoken to him a few times and I think what he does and what he sees is very strong. He gets along very well with the group of players, is tactically well-versed, can explain things well and is calm and intelligent. I think he can go to any club, even at the very difficult clubs, because he is so intelligent.
‘He has a lot of qualities and he shows it at every level. He first did it at AZ, and now at Feyenoord. And Feyenoord is a really complicated club. He has been doing well for three years, while PSV and Ajax have much more options in terms of money.
‘He could really fit anywhere. If you get AZ and Feyenoord to play football, you also get big clubs like AC Milan to play football. You can clearly see his hand where he is the coach.
‘I think it will even be easier for him at a higher level because he has better players who understand his ideas faster. I also think he is smart enough to manage stubborn players.’
Former Netherlands international Wim Jonk also backed Slot to succeed at Liverpool.
‘He gave Feyenoord a face,’ said Jonk. ‘Arne has made enormous strides, so I would like that. Liverpool is also a bit like the Feyenoord of England.’
