Virgil van Dijk becomes first Liverpool player to speak about Arne Slot
By
Daryl Finch
Daryl Finch
Liverpool's pursuit of a new manager is gaining momentum, with Dutch coach Arne Slot this week emerging as the frontrunner to take over the reins at Anfield.
The Reds' interest in Slot comes as they prepare for life after Jurgen Klopp when the German leaves at the end of the season.
With Bayer Leverkusen's Xabi Alonso ruling himself out of the running and Sporting Lisbon's Ruben Amorim's flirting with West Ham United seemingly leading the Reds to cool any interest, Slot is now the bookies' favourite to take over at Anfield.
Slot's track record at Feyenoord speaks for itself. He recently guided his side to victory in the KNVB Cup, the second trophy he has won in charge of the Rotterdam giants, having made them domestic champions 12 months ago.
Liverpool in talks over Arne Slot
It's believed that initial talks have commenced between Liverpool officials and Feyenoord over a compensation package for Slot, who is highly regarded for his progressive coaching methods.
Amid these reported negotiations for the 45-year-old, Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has become the first player to break the silence on the matter, offering his thoughts on his fellow countryman's potential arrival.
"I think Slot is one of the better Dutch coaches at the moment," said the Netherlands captain in quotes reported by the Daily Mail.
"With the way he plays and the philosophy he has, he can be a Liverpool coach," he said following Liverpool's disappointing 2-0 loss to Everton on Wednesday night.
Are Liverpool out of the title race?
The potential appointment of Slot represents a significant development for Liverpool, who are eager to bounce back from their recent setbacks.
Liverpool's title hopes have taken a hit following recent defeats, leaving them trailing behind Arsenal in the race for the Premier League crown.
However, Van Dijk remained cautious, acknowledging that negotiations are ongoing and stressing the need to focus on the remainder of the season.
"It’s crunch time and we’ve not been good enough in the way we finished the chances off, in the way we defended together and also the fight. I think we have to show much more," he said.
"But we have to look in the mirror and each and every one of us has to think like… 'Listen, you can’t accept this. You can’t accept the way we let our season end’."
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