Feyenoord's Arne Slot emerges as leading candidate in Liverpool ...

Feyenoord head coach Arne Slot has emerged as a leading candidate in the search for Jurgen Klopp’s successor at Liverpool.

The Dutchman is on the shortlist having satisfied many of the relevant criteria set out during the club’s recruitment process.

Slot led Feyenoord to the KNVB Cup last weekend and previously masterminded their Eredivisie title triumph in 2022-23.

The 45-year-old’s attacking brand of football appeals to Liverpool, along with his impressive track record of developing young talent.

However, his appointment is not a done deal with Liverpool continuing to assess the merits of other candidates.

Slot, who turned down Tottenham Hotspur last year, is attracting interest from a number of other top European clubs and Feyenoord remain keen to retain his services and are likely to demand a large compensation figure should he leave.

His current contract runs until 2026 and there is no release clause.

Liverpool’s search for Klopp’s replacement started last November after he informed the owners that he intended to stand down at the end of the season. Klopp subsequently made his decision public in January.

The process is being led by Fenway Sports Group’s CEO of football Michael Edwards, alongside new sporting director Richard Hughes.

There is an obligation for the modern manager to be synonymous with the buzzwords of “attractive, high-energy, attacking” football, but it helps if the manager is also able to demonstrate title-winning success alongside those principles.

Arne Slot falls into this category having led Feyenoord to only their second Eredivisie title in 20 years last season — losing just two games in the process.

Slot will most commonly set up with a 4-2-3-1 formation in possession, using a midfield double pivot to progress centrally through the first line of pressure. Beyond the high-possession, high-pressing, clinical attacking football, the 45-year-old has shown that he can achieve success without frivolous spending which is a trait that will be attractive to FSG and their strategic approach.

Feyenoord have not spent more than €8million on a player in the club’s history, with a revenue that is comfortably trumped by Dutch rivals PSV and Ajax. With the model that Feyenoord have, Slot has demonstrated his penchant for improving the value of the players he has and promoting youth from the academy. Sound familiar?

The data points to an aggressive, dominant style of play that is ideally suited to Liverpool’s current crop.

Mark Carey

(Andy Buchanan/AFP via Getty Images)

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