Liverpool may not have been playing, but Thursday was still a very busy day for the club, with Arne Slot emerging as the likely next manager.
Speculation has been rife ever since Jurgen Klopp announced he would leave at the end of the season, but we are now seeing concrete movement on that front. Xabi Alonso and Rubem Amorim have been and gone as potential successors and Slot is now in pole position.
The Feyenoord manager plays a similar style of football to Klopp and has clearly impressed the people who matter: Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes. Nothing has been done yet, but with the Premier League match against West Ham approaching on Saturday, it might not be long until it is official.
With that in mind, here are the latest headlines from Mirror Football regarding Liverpool.
Slot confirms he wants the job
Slot was busy managing Feyenoord against Go Ahead Eagles in the Eredivisie on Thursday night, but he was distracted. He was surprised by a Sky Sports reporter earlier in the day – and before overseeing a 3-1 win for his side, he made his intentions clear.
"I’d like to become the new Liverpool manager, my decision is clear,” he said. “Feyenoord and Liverpool are in talks to negotiate, I’m waiting to see what will come out of it. I am confident, waiting for the clubs to reach an agreement."
Slot has two years left on his Feyenoord deal and it is understood it will cost around £8.6million in compensation for Liverpool to hire him this summer. Feyenoord are consigned to losing their manager and have identified FC Twente boss Joseph Oosting as a replacement.
Slot sent blunt warning
He is not even through the door yet and Slot has already been warned that an exodus is coming at Liverpool as Klopp prepares to leave Anfield. Former Liverpool star Ryan Babel has warned him it will not be smooth sailing if he takes over at Anfield.
“Apart from Klopp, I understand that at least 40 more people within the club are leaving. From kitchen people to staff and analysts. A trainer who comes has to replace that, and that doesn't seem easy to me," Babel told VoetbalPrimeur.
He later tweeted to clarify what he meant, writing: "Any manager having the desire to take the #LFC job has to know that it has to bring more than just a coaching staff to the club. More than 30 people behind the scenes who Klopp brought in, who were a MAJOR part of #LFC success over the years are leaving too. Tough job."
Van Dijk’s verdict on Slot
Virgil van Dijk was furious with his team’s performance in the 2-0 defeat at Everton on Wednesday night, but he still found time to speak about his potential new boss.
"I think Slot is one of the better Dutch coaches at the moment,” he told ViaPlay. "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."
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.