Liverpool to open talks with Feyenoord over Slot

Liverpool are set to open talks with Feyenoord on Wednesday over manager Arne Slot as they search for Jurgen Klopp's successor.

Klopp announced in January he would leave Anfield at the end of the season and the Reds have been conducting extensive research around a number of candidates.

Slot, who led Feyenoord to the 2022-23 Eredivisie title, has emerged as a candidate who fits Liverpool's criteria.

Feyenoord have won the Dutch Cup this season and are second in the Eredivisie.

Slot was linked with Leeds United after they sacked manager Jesse Marsch in February 2023.

He then ruled himself out of contention for the Tottenham Hotspur job last summer before Ange Postecoglou took over.

The 45-year-old then extended his contract with Feyenoord until 2026.

If Liverpool do want to appoint Slot, they will have to negotiate a fee with Feyenoord as he does not have a release clause for this summer. There is one in his contract but it can’t be activated until next year.

At the time he was being linked with Spurs, Slot said: "The next step will not be another club in Holland. If that is the next step, I’ve failed completely in the upcoming few years.

"A normal next step would be to go abroad and I’ve always said that the best league in the world is the Premier League."

The attacking style of Slot, who is also thought to be interesting Barcelona and Bayern Munich, and his ability to develop players are believed to appeal to Liverpool.

The former midfielder spent his entire playing career in the Netherlands, making more than 100 appearances for both FC Zwolle and NAC Breda.

Xabi Alonso was linked with the Anfield job but the former Reds midfielder announced in March he would stay on at Bayer Leverkusen, who have since become German champions.

Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim is another manager heavily linked with the Liverpool job.

What is Arne Slot & Feyenoord's record?

After retiring from playing, Slot began his coaching career as a youth coach at PEC Zwolle before moving to SC Cambuur to become an assistant manager.

He moved to AZ Alkmaar in 2017 and stepped up to become manager two years later. In his first season in charge, they were second, level on points with leaders Ajax, when the Covid-19 pandemic brought the season to a premature end.

He was sacked in December 2020 when it emerged that he had been negotiating with Feyenoord.

Slot took charge of Feyenoord in the summer of 2021 and has managed 144 games at the Rotterdam club, winning 93, drawing 27 and losing 24.

Of his 98 league games, he has won 69 - giving him an impressive win percentage of 70.4%.

His career win percentage from more than 200 games across all competitions is 61.8%.

He won the Eredivisie with the club in 2022-23 and triumphed in the Dutch Cup this season.

'You have to cherish what you have' - Slot interview

In a June 2023 interview with the Athletic, Slot said about staying with Feyenoord: "I want to work longer on the project to see what comes from that, because you can every time leave somewhere after one or two successful seasons but, in the end, where and what are you then?

"So sometimes you also have to cherish what you have. There’s more to life and to football than only winning a prize.

"It is also the way you work. It’s not always that you come into the place where you can work like we can here and be happy, professional-wise but also family-wise."