Liverpool have listed Feyenoord manager Arne Slot as a replacement for the Premier League side boss Jurgen Klopp.
Klopp had announced his decision to leave Liverpool at the end of the season.
Slot ticks all Liverpool’s key criteria for the position, although it was gathered that the process is not a foregone conclusion, with the Eredivisie club determined to keep him as the head coach.
There is also interest from other top clubs and Liverpool are still in dialogue with several options, but the 45-year-old is a strong candidate.
Slot, who secured the KNVB Cup last weekend and led Feyenoord to their first title in six years last season, appeals to Liverpool due to his aggressive, full-throttle style.
He has drilled his team to be adept at turning defensive actions into shooting opportunities and they top the Eredivisie for tackles won in the opposition’s final third.
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Feyenoord have the best defence in the league and the second-best offensive metrics.
Slot has proved capable of improving individuals as well as the collective while operating on a smaller budget than his core competitors, and his penchant for a 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-3 formation fits Liverpool’s squad.
Slot has previously been approached by Tottenham, Chelsea, and Leeds. He signed a new contract last May to keep him at Feyenoord until 2026 but has referenced a desire to make the next step in his career.
Compensation is anticipated to be in the region of £9 million if a deal is to be closed, according to Sky Sports.
Sporting manager Ruben Amorim was under consideration by Liverpool but sources say he is no longer in the frame.
West Ham are interested in Amorim but Julen Lopetegui, the former Wolves, Real Madrid, and Spain boss, and Paulo Fonseca, currently in charge of Lille, are considered the frontrunners.
Slot took over from Dick Advocaat at Feyenoord for the start of the 21/22 season with the club finishing fifth the previous season.
Two years later, they were champions of the Eredivisie. He built a team with the key combination of playing intense, attack-minded football that presses whilst also being able to win.
Feyenoord look set to fail to defend their crown this season as they are second behind PSV Eindhoven, nine points adrift with four games to play.
In Europe, they finished third in their Champions League group before dropping into the Europa League where they were knocked out by AS Roma on penalties in February.
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