According to midfielder and captain Virgil van Dijk, fellow Dutchman Arne Slot has the right style and philosophy to succeed Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool.
“Of course, it's a bit difficult for me to answer right now,” Van Dijk said on April 25 when asked about the possibility of Liverpool appointing Slot. “But I think Slot can become Liverpool coach, with his style and philosophy.”
The Dutch midfielder also emphasized that this is just a personal opinion, and he only knew that the club was negotiating with Slot.
Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk clears the ball in the 0-2 loss to Everton at Goodison Park on April 24. Photo: AP
According to ESPN, the owner of Anfield has opened negotiations with Feyenoord since April 24. Slot became the leading candidate to succeed Klopp, after Xabi Alonso decided to stay at Leverkusen, and Sporting's Ruben Amorim received interest from West Ham. Last year, Slot rejected offers from Leeds, Tottenham, and Chelsea to sign a new three-year contract with Feyenoord.
On May 25, Slot admitted that he wanted to lead Liverpool and was confident that the parties would soon reach an agreement. “The clubs are negotiating and I am waiting for the results,” the 5-year-old coach said. “It's no secret that I want to go to Liverpool. Now I am waiting for the clubs to reach an agreement. I believe that will happen."
According to Sky Sports, Slot meets Liverpool's criteria thanks to its attacking style and high intensity play. Feyenoord currently leads the Dutch Eredivisie national championship in terms of winning the ball in one-third of the opponent's field, has the best defense (24 goals conceded) and the second best attack (80 goals). Slot's favorite 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 system also suits Liverpool.
Slot played for many mid-range clubs in the Netherlands such as FC Zwolle, NAC Breda or Sparta Rotterdam and retired in 2013. He started his coaching career at Cambuur in 2016, led AZ Alkmaar in 2019 and moved to Feyenoord in the summer of 2020. .
Coach Arne Slot in Feyenoord's match against Go Ahead Eagles on Thursday, April 25. Image: ANP
Here, he made a splash when he helped Feyenoord reach the final of the Europa Conference League in the 2021-2022 season, where they lost 0-1 to Jose Mourinho's Roma. Slot helped Feyenoord win the Dutch Eredivisie championship last season and win the Dutch National Cup earlier this year. In the Eredivisie this season, Feyenoord is ranked second with 75 points, nine points behind PSV.
In total, Slot led Feyenoord 146 matches, winning 91, losing 23 and drawing 29. He was twice elected best coach in the Eredivisie in 2022 and 2023 and is the fourth coach to win this individual award two times in a row. , after Guus Hiddink, Frank de Boer and Erik ten Hag.
Slot's contract with Feyenoord is valid until 2026 and has no release clause. According to The Times, Liverpool may spend about 11 million USD to convince the Dutch club to release him.
Hong Duy
