Arne Slot is on the verge of becoming Liverpool‘s next manager, with a compensation deal worth up to £9.4m agreed with Feyenoord.
The Dutchman is set to succeed Jurgen Klopp, who announced his departure from Anfield at the end of the 2023-24 season.
Liverpool will now move forward to finalize a contract with the 45-year-old before officially appointing him.
The Reds have agreed to pay Feyenoord £7.7m (9m euros) plus a potential £1.7m (2m euros) in add-ons.
Slot guided Feyenoord to the 2022-23 Eredivisie title, and this season they have secured the Dutch Cup and are poised to finish second in their league.
His attacking style, personality, and ability to develop players are believed to be key factors in Liverpool’s decision to choose him as their new manager.
Slot took over as Feyenoord manager in 2021 and expressed his interest in managing in the Premier League when linked with Tottenham in 2023.
Former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso, who recently led Bayer Leverkusen to their first Bundesliga title, was also considered for the role at Anfield. However, the 42-year-old Spaniard announced in March that he would remain with Leverkusen for the time being.
Sporting Lisbon’s Ruben Amorim was another reported contender to replace Klopp, who has been in charge of Liverpool since October 2015.
Klopp, who was not involved in the recruitment process for his successor, praised Slot’s team’s approach to the game in a news conference on Friday.
“I like the way his team play football. All the things I hear about him as a guy say he’s a good guy,” Klopp said.
“I like that a lot – good guy, good coach and looking forward for the club if he is the solution. I’m more than happy, it sounds all really good.”
Asked about the job Slot would be taking on if appointed, Klopp added: “Best job in the world, best club in the world. Now it looks like [Slot is] helped by [Liverpool] not finishing on a high so there’s space for improvement.”