Jamie Carragher says Liverpool’s move for Arne Slot shows the lack of “top managers” currently available.
Liverpool are negotiating with Feyenoord to appoint Slot as successor to Jurgen Klopp, who is stepping down at the end of the season.
The Dutch champions rejected Liverpool’s opening offer of £7.75m, with a transfer fee of around £9m expected to be enough to sign the 45-year-old.
Liverpool was heavily involved Xabi Alonso until their former midfielder announced he would be staying at Bayer Leverkusen.
Sports director Reuben Amorim – Who is a candidate for West Ham, should David Moyes go – and Brighton Roberto De Zerbi were also reportedly being considered by Liverpool.
Thomas Tuchel And Xavi will also be available in the summer when they leave Bayern Munich and Barcelona respectively, but Liverpool appear to have focused their intentions on Slot.
Speak with Sky SportsFormer Liverpool defender Carragher said: “Going from Feyenoord to Liverpool is a huge jump and I think that shows at this moment that there is probably a lack of real top managers when you look at who Liverpool are going after .”
“First it was Xabi Alonso – it’s only his first full season as coach – then there was talk of Ruben Amorim from Sporting, who is only 39 years old. Now Arne Slot is the favorite.”
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Sky Sports News chief reporter Kaveh Solhekol explains the details surrounding Arne Slot’s potential move to Liverpool and the kind of football fans can expect if he gets the role
Carragher added that the situation Slot may face at Anfield is different to the one Klopp inherited in 2014 after his time as Borussia Dortmund coach, or the situation Rafa Benitez found himself in in 2004 after his spell as Borussia Dortmund coach Farewell to Valencia.
“I don’t think Benitez or Klopp will get in,” he said. “Benitez came after two LaLiga titles and a UEFA Cup, or Klopp won a couple of league titles and reached a Champions League final. Liverpool were actually in a different situation at the time.”
“The Liverpool team, certainly under Benitez that I was part of, we were the team that was trying to qualify for the top four. The same was true for Klopp when he came in.”
“But Liverpool are in a different era now. They actually want to fight for the Premier League every season. Next season, in the Champions League, they would expect to reach at least the quarter-finals.”
“I think it’s a big jump but he’s obviously a great coach with a great track record. We will see.”
Neville admits ‘surprise’ over slot move
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Gary Neville comments on Liverpool’s decision to appoint Feyenoord coach Arne Slot as Jurgen Klopp’s successor
Gary Neville admitted his “surprise” when Liverpool chose Slot as Klopp’s replacement, adding: “Jamie Carragher had told me two different managers so it wasn’t what he expected either.”
“He is a successful coach in Holland. I love Dutch coaches. There is a way of training that has been adopted by some of the great coaches in the sport.”
“Of course it’s a change from the Dutch league to the English league. It’s a very different approach to Jurgen Klopp, but I don’t think they could ever appoint a coach who has the personality, character and strength of Klopp.”
“It is interesting. It’s obviously something that was pushed by Michael Edwards as they wanted a different approach.”
“Maybe that’s why Edwards left Liverpool – because he clashed with Klopp. But now he is going his own way and bringing in someone who he believes will take Liverpool forward.”
“We don’t know how this will continue. The reality is that we have seen that the post-Arsene Wenger era at Arsenal has been difficult. The post-Sir Alex Ferguson era at Manchester United was a difficult one. Klopp is massive in Liverpool, so they have to try and get that right.
“We originally thought it was Xabi Alonso and then Ruben Amorim. Now it’s Arne Slot.”
“Maybe he wasn’t No. 1 on the list, but the fact is, if you can’t pinpoint who you want, you have to move on to the next one on the list. You will still have a good coach.
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Sky Sports’ Peter Smith and David Reed discuss the news that Liverpool have begun negotiations with Feyenoord to hire Arne Slot as coach
Neville believes Liverpool’s organization behind the scenes could make the transition to a post-Klopp era a smoother process than Man Utd and Arsenal experienced when they replaced Ferguson and Wenger respectively.
“Manchester United and Arsenal had quite a traditional, old-fashioned approach when they replaced those two managers, where the managers ran the club,” he said.
“They didn’t really have an athletic department under them. They were the heads of the athletic department. They were the head of recruiting, the athletic director, the manager and the coach all rolled into one.”
“Liverpool have a better lineup, with more depth and more structure. There will still be some risk in replacing Klopp with anyone, but it has to happen. Klopp is leaving.”
Why is Liverpool interested in Slot?
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Feyenoord coach Arne Slot gives an inspiring team speech after a big win against Ajax last season – his side went on to win the Eredivisie
Slot, who lifted the KNVB Cup last weekend and led Feyenoord to their first title in six years last season, likes Liverpool for his aggressive, full-throttle style.
He has taught his team to convert defensive actions into scoring chances and they are the Eredivisie leaders in tackles won in the opponent’s final third.
Feyenoord has the best defense in the league and the second best offensive stats.
Slot has proven he can improve both individuals and the collective despite operating on a smaller budget than his main rivals, and his preference for a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 formation suits Liverpool’s squad.
Slot has previously been approached by Tottenham, Chelsea and Leeds. Last May he signed a new contract to stay at Feyenoord until 2026, but also expressed a desire to take the next step in his career.
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