Arne Slot confirms he will succeed Klopp at Liverpool

Feyenoord manager Arne Slot confirmed he will manage Liverpool next season in a press conference today.

The 45-year-old will succeed Jurgen Klopp, who is expected to leave the Reds after the final Premier League game of the season against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday.

“I can confirm that I will become the trainer there next season,” Slot said at a press conference on Friday (via the Daily Mail).

Per Fabrizio Romano, a work permit is still pending for his coaching staff, and an official announcement by Liverpool will come whenever they decide.

Slot emerged as the first-choice candidate to take over at the Merseyside club after Xabi Alonso decided to stay at Bayer Leverkusen. 

The Reds were also linked with a move for Sporting CP boss Ruben Amorim, but they soon ruled him out, and the Portuguese manager has since announced he will stay with the Primeira Liga champions.

Liverpool reportedly decided on Slot around a month ago. He was also keen on taking the job, claiming he’d be crazy not to consider their interest. He now has the task of rebuilding this Liverpool post-Klopp.

Liverpool will finish this season third on the PL table. Fans will be expecting the new manager to settle down quickly and lead them into another title challenge next season.

The former AZ Alkmaar manager’s stock has risen considerably after leading Feyenoord to the Eredivisie title last season and winning the KNVB Cup this term. He also led them to the Europa Conference League final and the Europa League semi-final.

However, Dutch football fans will argue that he did his best work at AZ, where he took a team that finished fifth and matched perennial champions Ajax in the 2019/20 season.

The Dutchman was linked with a move to join Tottenham Hotspur last year but opted to stay another year. Chelsea also interviewed him and were impressed but still hired Mauricio Pochettino. 

Slot has now joined Liverpool, where he has massive boots to fill.