By Peter Ochieng
English Premier League side Liverpool on Monday announced Arne Slot as the next manager.
The Dutchman agreed a deal to become the club’s new head coach, formally taking up the position on June 1, 2024, subject to a work permit, replacing Jurgen Klopp who left Liverpool’s hot seat on Sunday, after 9 years at Anfield.
“The 45-year-old will join the Reds from Feyenoord ahead of the 2024-25 season after a deal was reached with the Eredivisie club for his services,” reads a statement on the club’s website.
On January, Klopp declared his decision to step down from the post at the end of the current campaign. His 491st match, the last one for him at the club for that matter was against Wolves on Sunday.
The Reds gave the legendary coach a befitting farewell, courtesy of a 2-0 win over Wolves on the last day of the 2023/2024 season.
Liverpool qualified for next season’s Champions League action, after finishing third behind champions Manchester City, and Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side in the just concluded season.
Slot will arrive in England after three highly successful seasons with Feyenoord, during which he led them to the league title in 2023 and was named Eredivisie Manager of the Year on two occasions.
More recently, he helped the Rotterdam club to victory in the KNVB Cup in April, after they defeated NEC Nijmegen 1-0 in the final.
Prior to moving to Feyenoord, Slot held the position of AZ Alkmaar head coach.
He led the side to second place trailing leaders Ajax only on goal difference, when the Dutch season was cancelled due to 2019/2020 COVID-19 pandemic.
Slot primarily operated as a midfielder during his playing days, turning out for FC Zwolle, NAC Breda, Sparta Rotterdam and PEC Zwolle before hanging up his boots in 2013.
The Liverpool statement did not however adress the key issue of his contract.