Liverpool have announced the appointment of Arne Slot as their new head coach on a three-year contract.
The Dutchman will officially take over from Jurgen Klopp on June 1 following his departure from Feyenoord.
A compensation package of around €11million (£9.4m) was agreed between the clubs last month with Slot set to bring assistant coach Sipke Hulshoff and head of performance Ruben Peeters with him to Merseyside.
In an interview with Feyenoord’s website, Slot said: “It is certainly not an easy decision to close the door behind you at a club where you have experienced so many wonderful moments and worked successfully with so many wonderful people.
“But as a sportsman, an opportunity to become a head coach in the Premier League, at one of the biggest clubs in the world, is difficult to ignore.”
Slot confirmed prior to Feyenoord’s final game of the season against Excelsior that he would be taking over at Liverpool and then Klopp led a chant of his successor’s name following Sunday’s emotional farewell at Anfield as he urged fans to get behind the new boss.
The 45-year-old emerged as Liverpool’s preferred candidate following an extensive search led by Fenway Sports Group’s CEO of football Michael Edwards and new sporting director Richard Hughes after Klopp announced in January that he would be stepping down at the end of the season.
Liverpool’s process of due diligence included sophisticated data analysis, character research and performance evaluation. Through his work at AZ Alkmaar and Feyenoord, Slot has earned a reputation as one of the most innovative coaches in Europe.
They believe he has over-performed given the resources available to him having led Feyenoord to their second league title this century and their first European final since 2002 — showcasing an ability to develop talent and bring the best out of players to achieve objectives which had previously been out of reach.
His dynamic, high-energy, possession-based brand of attacking football and tactical approach also counted in his favour as Liverpool believe it will perfectly suit the squad he will inherit at Anfield and will energise the fanbase.
Liverpool regard Slot as having excellent communication skills and his eagerness to take on the sizeable challenge of following in Klopp’s footsteps also impressed senior club figures.
Xabi Alonso — before he announced he is to remain at Bayer Leverkusen for next season — and Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim were among the other candidates Liverpool considered to replace Klopp before they settled on Slot.
Slot won the Dutch title with Feyenoord last season and held talks with Tottenham Hotspur over their vacant head coach role last summer, before opting to stay.
His Feyenoord side ended the 2023-24 Dutch season second in the Eredivisie, seven points behind champions PSV Eindhoven.
Slot knows little else but to play on the front foot, whoever the opponent may be.
The Dutchman commonly sets up with a 4-2-3-1 formation in possession, using a midfield double pivot to progress centrally through the first line of pressure, with a No 10, two wingers and a central striker.
Unsurprisingly, Pep Guardiola and Roberto De Zerbi are among the managers he is most inspired by, but Slot is also known to admire Marcelo Bielsa, Jorge Sampaoli, Klopp, Luciano Spaletti and Mikel Arteta.
He has also shared ideas with former Liverpool assistant coach and fellow Dutchman Pep Lijnders, who is leaving to be Red Bull Salzburg head coach.
Slot would frequently show his players clips of Manchester City and Brighton to show them how he wanted to play.
The squad Slot is inheriting is packed with exciting, young talent alongside world-class experience. The Dutchman’s style holds similarities to Klopp, but there are differences, beginning with the formation.
Liverpool’s transfer business in recent seasons has focused on signing versatile players so most of the team he is inheriting are not wedded to a specific role that can only be played in Klopp’s preferred 4-3-3.
The likes of Cody Gakpo, Dominik Szoboszlai, Harvey Elliott and Ryan Gravenberch could all slot into the No 10 role Slot likes, for example.
Tactically, Slot’s challenge is to make Liverpool more structured and solid to prevent goals being conceded after a lack of clean sheets played a role in the disappointing end to the season. More composure and conviction in attacking areas is another area to improve, too.
