Virgil van Dijk has become the first Liverpool player to comment on reports linking Arne Slot with a shock move to Anfield.
According to reports, Slot has emerged as Liverpool’s top managerial contender to succeed Jurgen Klopp when the current campaign end.
The club and the Feyenoord manager have begun negotiations on the latter’s taking over as Premier League manager for the 2024–2025 season.
Having showered Slot with high praise, his countryman Van Dijk has given his blessing to the possible appointment.
Following Liverpool’s devastating 2-0 loss against Everton, the captain of the team said: “I think Slot is one of the better Dutch coaches at the moment.
“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.”
After appearing to fall short in their chase of Ruben Amorim of Sporting CP and Xabi Alonso of Bayer Leverkusen, Slot has emerged as the front-runner to succeed Klopp.
Before joining AZ Alkmaar, the 45-year-old Dutch manager started his management career at Cambuur.
After being named manager of Feyenoord in July 2021, he assisted the team in winning the Dutch league in the 2022–2023 campaign.
The Eredivisie powerhouses turned down Liverpool’s initial offer on Wednesday, which was estimated to be worth £7.7 million with bonuses.
More Read: Virgil Van Dijk’s All Time Premier League Stats
The Liverpool team offered an upfront payment of £6 million plus an additional £1.7 million in performance-related bonuses, but Feyenoord is reportedly holding out for a package worth £8.5 million in total.
After announcing his unexpected decision in January, Klopp will terminate his illustrious tenure at Liverpool at the conclusion of the current campaign.
