One potential hurdle for Liverpool if they want to make Arne Slot their new manager is the fee required to prise him away from Feyenoord.

According to reporting in the Athletic, external in 2023, the 45-year-old Dutchman could have been available for 5m euros this summer but the release clause was removed when he signed a new contract last year, shortly after he rebuffed interest from Tottenham.

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It was also reported yesterday that Arne Slot has cancelled his press conference, due to take place today, ahead of Feyenoord's game at Go Ahead Eagles on Thursday.

Of course, there could be plenty of reasons for that but the timing is only going to add to the Liverpool speculation.

Liverpool have had an opening offer of 9m euros (£7.7m) rejected by Feyenoord as they look to pin down a figure that it will take to prise Arne Slot away from the Eredivisie champions, the Athletic reports, external.

According to the Athletic article, Feyenoord are "negotiating hard" while Liverpool will "continue to assess other candidates" to replace departing manager Jurgen Klopp, despite Slot emerging as their "leading contender".

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After retiring from playing, Arne 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%.

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

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Arne Slot never quite hit the heights as a player, winning just two second-tier titles in the Netherlands with FC Zwolle - the club where he started and finished his career.

He was an attacking midfielder that made up for a lack of pace and physicality with vision and a keen eye for a pass.

After helping FC Zwolle reach the Eredivisie in 2002 for the first time in 13 years, Slot moved to NAC Breda, who finished fourth in his first season at the club.

He tasted European cup competition for the first time the following season, when NAC Breda were knocked out of the Uefa Cup by Newcastle in the first round.

A further spell followed at Sparta Rotterdam before Slot finished his career with a second Erste Divisie title back at FC Zwolle.

He retired in 2013 having scored 100 goals in 462 league appearances.

ESPN's Senior Football writer Mark Ogden, speaking about Arne Slot on yesterday's Football Daily podcast: "Liverpool feel that he does match their criteria in terms of style of play, his personality and his ability to work within the system.

"People from Liverpool fear that they might have competition from Bayern Munich and Barcelona but he is a serious candidate, which I am a little bit surprised at because they've been looking at Xabi Alonso, who ruled himself out quite quickly, and Ruben Amorim - I won't say has priced himself out of the market - but Liverpool do seem to be looking elsewhere.

"Arne Slot turned Tottenham down last summer and that was a surprise that he turned down a very good Premier League job to stay with Feyenoord. But Liverpool, with due respect to Tottenham, is a much bigger club.

"It's a much bigger challenge to replace Jurgen Klopp so you need a big personality to take that job and big credentials. Whether Arne Slot is ready for that job, I don't know.

"We've seen down the road that Erik ten Hag has gone from Ajax to Manchester United and struggled maybe. So it would be a big leap for Slot but Liverpool are finding it difficult to replace the irreplaceable."

You can listen to the full podcast on BBC Sounds

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

Slot became Feyenoord head coach in December 2020 after leaving AZ Alkmaar, where he enjoyed success in his first managerial position.

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 name heavily linked with the Liverpool job.

As Jurgen Klopp nears the end of his tenure at Liverpool, BBC Sport visits Anfield to analyse the impact of the German on the club, the city, and discuss how the Reds will handle his impeding departure.

Will Arne Slot be the man to replace him?

Arne Slot was linked with Leeds United after they sacked manager Jesse Marsch, while Slot also ruled himself out of contention for the Tottenham Hotspur job last summer before Ange Postecoglou took over.

Slot then extended his contract with Feyenoord until 2026.

At the time he was being linked with Spurs, he 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."

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We reported yesterday that Feyenoord's Arne Slot was a leading candidate to take over as Liverpool manager from Jurgen Klopp and this latest development suggests that things have advanced.

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.

The 45-year-old, 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.

Simon Stone
BBC Sport

Liverpool are set to open talks with Feyenoord over manager Arne Slot as they continue their search to find a replacement for the outgoing Jurgen Klopp.

Here are a selection of the key facts and figures before tonight's Merseyside derby.

• There have been more red cards in Everton versus Liverpool games than any other Premier League fixture (23), with the Blues' 16 the most one side has against another in the competition. Ashley Young was sent off earlier this season at Anfield, though there has not been a red card in both meetings since 2005-06.
• Everton are winless in their past 12 Premier League home games against Liverpool (D9 L3), their longest run without a league victory against an opponent at Goodison Park.
• The Reds have won their past 12 league games played on Wednesday by an aggregate score of 33-5, since a 1-0 home loss to Brighton in February 2021.
• No player has been directly involved in more Premier League goals for Everton this season than Dwight McNeil (three goals, five assists). However, McNeil has never been involved in one in 10 league appearances against Liverpool, only facing Manchester United (12) more without a top-flight goal or assist.
• Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah has been directly involved in six goals in his past five Premier League appearances against Everton, scoring five and assisting one. He scored twice in the reverse fixture in October – the last player to score two or more goals in both Merseyside derbies in a league campaign was Dixie Dean in 1932-33, while the last for Liverpool was Dick Forshaw in 1925-26.

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First up for Liverpool in the run-in is the 244th Merseyside derby against Everton tonight at Goodison Park.

Jurgen Klopp's Reds start second in the Premier League, while Sean Dyche's Toffees are 16th.

Liverpool have had the better of the recent meetings and have only lost one of the past 26 league encounters.

BBC Sport has taken a look back at some of the best moments in 21st century matches between the two famous clubs.

Read more here.

Liverpool

Liverpool are rated by Opta as an outside bet for the title, with only a 14.8% chance of gifting departing manager Jurgen Klopp with the best parting gift imaginable.

Here are their remaining five games:

• 24 April - Everton (a)
• 27 April - West Ham (a)
• 5 May - Tottenham (h)
• 13 May - Aston Villa (a)
• 19 May - Wolves (h)

Right, so that is a broad overview of where each side stands, let's delve a little deeper into their remaining fixtures, starting with Liverpool, who are next in action, with a tricky trip to Merseyside rivals Everton tonight...