Arne Slot has all but confirmed the worst-kept secret in football by suggesting it is only a matter of time before he is formally announced as Jurgen Klopp’s successor at Liverpool.
The Feyenoord boss appeared to bid farewell to Feyenoord fans after overseeing a five-goal victory over PEC Zwolle on Sunday. Slot’s picture was displayed on the big screens in Rotterdam following the game while the manager went around and seemed to wave goodbye to the fans.
Reigning Eredivisie champions Feyenoord will finish this season in second place - their best back-to-back league showings since 1994 – and last month claimed the KNVB Cup by beating NEC Nijmegen in the final.
Arne Slot will accept Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool offer
Asked if that valedictory display was exactly what it looked like, Slot nodded: “I think I agree on that, that it looked like that. Because of all the rumours in the media I think they are expecting me to leave. Yeah, that is something we could say.”
Liverpool are still yet to issue any kind of confirmation that Slot will be taking over from Klopp when the German steps down from his post this summer, but it had already been widely expected to happen.
As reported by the Guardian, Slot told the Dutch media on Sunday evening: “I’m not worried at all about whether it will go ahead – the question is when it will be communicated.”
Slot added that he will take up Klopp on his offer of a briefing about what lies ahead at his new club, saying: “I think it’s normal that if you go to a new club, and if that would be Liverpool, it is normal that you contact the former coach.
“I did this when I went to Feyenoord as well. It’s more than normal that, all the knowledge a person has that worked a few years at that club – and in his situation even nine years – that you contact him.
“Apart from that I know his assistant quite well, Pepijn Lijnders – but if there’s an official confirmation, when the season is done, it would be strange if I didn’t call him then.”
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