Liverpool have confirmed the appointment of Arne Slot as their head coach 24 hours after JĂĽrgen Klopp bade farewell to Anfield.
Liverpool have had an agreement in place with the former Feyenoord coach for more than three weeks but wanted to delay the announcement until after Klopp’s departure. Slot has been confirmed as the head coach, not manager, and has signed a three-year contract. The 45-year-old had two years remaining on his deal with Feyenoord, who will receive €9m (£7.7m) plus €2m in add-ons in compensation. He is due to formally start on 1 June, subject to a work permit.
Slot, who won the Dutch league and cup in his three seasons with Feyenoord, was identified as Liverpool’s preferred candidate in a search led by the new sporting director, Richard Hughes, and Michael Edwards, the new chief executive of football at Fenway Sports Group. The early frontrunner, the former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso, ruled himself out when opting to stay with the new Bundesliga champions, Bayer Leverkusen.
Klopp’s decision to announce his departure in January, having informed Liverpool’s owners of his intentions in November, afforded the club time to conduct a thorough search for his successor. Slot, who has won the Rinus Michels Award for the best coach in the Netherlands for the past two seasons, emerged as Liverpool’s preferred choice for several reasons.
His achievements with AZ and Feyenoord, reputation for innovation, communication skills and overperforming on a relatively modest budget caught the eye of Liverpool’s recruitment team. A style of play that is not a dramatic departure from Klopp’s and should therefore suit most of the Liverpool squad also appealed. Slot also has a track record of improving players. He is understood to be keen to work with Darwin Núñez, despite recent doubts over the Uruguay international’s future.
Slot led Feyenoord to victory in the KNVB Cup in April after winning the Eredivisie last season. This season they finished second, behind the champions, PSV Eindhoven. Slot also reached the 2022 Europa Conference League final in his first season after replacing Dick Advocaat, where they lost 1-0 to Roma.
Slot’s assistant at Feyenoord, Sipke Hulshoff, is expected to follow him to Anfield having resigned as the Netherlands’ assistant coach this week to be available for the start of pre-season training with Liverpool. The start date for pre-season has been brought forward by a week to the beginning of July by Slot.