Liverpool look all set to hire Feyenoord manager Arne Slot as the man to replace Jurgen Klopp.
Slot hadn’t previously been mentioned as one of the top candidates to succeed Klopp over the summer.
But after Ruben Amorim was ruled out, Slot has come to the fore-front. Liverpool are reportedly set to ‘move fast’ to get a deal for the 45-year-old over the line.
News of Slot’s ascension to FSG’s first choice may have come as a surprise to many, some of whom may never even have heard of the Dutchman. However, there are said to be plenty of things that Liverpool really like about Slot.
Like any appointment, there are some worries attached, though. And journalist Mark Ogden has shared what the Reds are ‘fearing’ as they look to make Slot their new manager.
Liverpool hold Arne Slot ‘fear’
It remains to be seen exactly how Liverpool fans greet the potential appointment of Slot. So far, the reaction online has largely been something like bemused cautious optimism.
Still, nothing is done quite yet. Although there have been claims in the Netherlands that Slot is already looking for houses on Merseyside, he isn’t Liverpool manager just yet.
And according to Ogden, there’s still a ‘fear’ from the Reds that the Feyenoord boss may go elsewhere. Speaking to BBC 5 Live’s The Tuesday Night Club last night, the journalist said that Bayern Munich and Barcelona might still derail their attempts to get Slot.
“He is a leading target, and Liverpool feel that he does match their criteria in terms of style of play, his personality and ability to work within the system,” Ogden reports.
“Now, people at Liverpool fear that they might have competition from Bayern Munich and Barcelona but he is a serious candidate which I’m a little bit surprised at.
“They have been looking at Xabi Alonso but he ruled himself out quite quickly and Ruben Amorim, I’m not saying priced himself out of the market, but Liverpool do seem to be looking elsewhere.”
Is Arne Slot ready for Liverpool
As well as a worry that Slot may go elsewhere, there may also be some trepidation from Liverpool supporters that the step up is too big for him. The Reds themselves don’t seem to have this worry, or they wouldn’t target him in the first place.
But, continuing his update last night, Ogden questioned whether the former AZ Alkmaar coach was quite the right man for Liverpool.
“Arne Slot turned down Tottenham last summer, so that was a surprise that turned down a very good Premier League job to stay with Feyenoord,” he says.
“So, Liverpool with due respect to Tottenham, is a much bigger club and a much bigger challenge to replace Jurgen Klopp, so you need a big personality to take that job and big credentials and whether Arne Slot is ready, I don’t know.
In our opinion, for Liverpool to go public with the Slot news, they must be confident of beating Bayern and Barca to him. As for whether he’s ready, well, we’ll probably soon find out.