Liverpool reach verbal agreement with Arne Slot to take over as manager

By Carl Markham, PA

Liverpool have reached a verbal agreement with Feyenoord for their head coach Arne Slot to succeed Jurgen Klopp at the end of the season.

The club made their move for the Dutchman earlier this week and after days of negotiation the PA news agency understands they have finally settled on a compensation package for the 45-year-old, who had two years left on his contract.

Slot had said on Thursday he was confident a deal would be reached after admitted it was “clear I would like to go to Liverpool”.

The Feyenoord boss, who guided the club to their first title in six years last season and currently has them in second place in the Eredivisie table having won the Dutch Cup at the weekend, emerged as the preferred candidate earlier this week having been identified as meeting all the criteria set out in Liverpool’s recruitment process.

Klopp is standing down at the end of the season after nine years at the helm and feels the team will be in good hands with the 45-year-old Dutchman, who won the Eredivisie last season.

Klopp said: “I’m not involved in the process, just to clarify that.

“What I like a lot about it, if he is the one, is that he really wants to take the job. He is desperate. So ‘come on, let’s go for it’. Excited.