‘I can confirm…’ – Arne Slot drops major Liverpool declaration ahead of Feyenoord farewell

Arne Slot has confirmed the worst-kept secret in football by declaring that he will be Liverpool’s next head coach.

It’s been known since the start of this month that the 45-year-old is the man that FSG have chosen to take ofer from Jurgen Klopp, and the departing Feyenoord boss has now stated on the record that he’s Anfield bound.

Speaking at his final pre-match press conference in charge of the Eredivisie runners-up on Friday, for which he was a few minutes late, Slot said (via BBC Sport): “I can confirm that I will become the trainer there next year.”

Feyenoord confirmed that the Dutchman’s era ‘is coming to an end’ with a tribute video on their social media platforms yesterday.

Slot mightn’t have been the instantaneous first choice of many Liverpool fans at the time that Klopp announced in January that he’d be leaving Anfield at the end of this season, and Jamie Carragher has said that the 45-year-old’s appointment shows that ‘there’s probably a dearth of real top managers out there’.

He’s the man that Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes have chosen, though, and the former’s track record for recruitment during his previous spell at LFC as sporting director indicates that he can be trusted when it comes to major decisions at the club.

Even if some supporters may still be sceptical as to the Dutchman’s credentials to follow on from an all-time managerial legend, at least having him in place well in advance of the summer transfer window will offer him plenty of scope to assess the squad he inherits and the players that he’d like to bring in during the off-season.

Slot mightn’t have quite as rich a CV as Klopp boasted prior to his Liverpool appointment in 2015, but an Eredivisie title and a European final appearance aren’t to be dismissed lightly.

The 45-year-old’s enthusiasm to take on the job has been apparent in his public utterances over the past month, and that bodes well for when he formally begins work as the Reds’ new head coach. If he’s even half as good as his predecessor, LFC will be in steady hands for the foreseeable future.