Liverpool have opened talks with Feyenoord over appointing Arne Slot as their next manager, according to widespread reports, as Jurgen Klopp gets set to leave at the end of the season.
Slot’s aggressive, full-throttle style of play has impressed Liverpool chiefs, with the Eredivisie side overachieving in Europe following his much-anticipated appointment from AZ Alkmaar in 2021.
That being said, former Manchester United captain Roy Keane is not exactly thrilled by the potential appointment.
Reacting to the news on the latest episode of Stick To Football – brought to you by Sky Bet – fellow guest Jamie Carragher gave his thoughts on Slot being linked with the Liverpool role.
He began: “When it came out yesterday, it was a little bit…” but before he could finish his sentence, Keane interrupted him. “It’s not exciting, is it?” he smiled before Carragher agreed.
A day before The Overlap episode was released, Virgil van Dijk became the first Liverpool defender to speak out on Slot after he emerged as the leading candidate to replace Jurgen Klopp.
“I think Slot is one of the better Dutch coaches at the moment,” he said after their 2-0 defeat to Everton.
“With the way he plays and the philosophy he has, he can be a Liverpool coach. But I read and hear that it is far from complete. We shall see. We will focus on that next season, but that is still a long way off.”
In the past, Slot has been credited with improving young players. And after he reached the Europa Conference League final in 2023, former Feyenoord loanee Reiss Nelson praised the Dutchman.
“Holland was great for me. I felt like Arne Slot is a great manager,” he said.
“He really got me into my rhythm. He gave me a lot of opportunities to play and I excelled.
“It was really cool, like I said we got to the final. It was just the little things with the personal life, not my family around, the Corona situation. So it was a bit tough. But football-wise, it was perfect.”
Keane is far from excited by the prospect of Slot’s arrival, but many have backed the 45-year-old to succeed at Anfield if he does take over.
