‘Senior’ Liverpool stars ‘underwhelmed’ by Slot appointment as Klopp’s replacement faces ‘problem’
Arne Slot
According to reports, some ‘senior’ Liverpool players are ‘underwhelmed’ by the imminent appointment of Arne Slot as Jurgen Klopp’s replacement.
Klopp announced in January that this season would be his last as Liverpool’s manager as he has run out of steam and requires a break.
Former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso has been working wonders with newly-crowned Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen and he was initially identified as the favourite to replace Klopp.
But Liverpool were made to look elsewhere after Alonso announced that he will stick with Leverkusen for at least one more season.
Current Feyenoord boss Slot has since won the race to replace Klopp as Liverpool’s board have selected him over Sporting Lisbon head coach Ruben Amorim.
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Leeds United and Tottenham Hotspur have previously targeted slot but he ultimately opted against joining the English sides.
The Liverpool job has appealed more to Slot, who has publically made it clear that he wants to join the Premier League giants.
Slot has done a wonderful job with Feyenoord. He helped them win the Eredivisie title for the first time since 2017 last season. This term, they are second in the league but have won the KNVB Cup.
After it emerged that Liverpool are pursuing Slot, Klopp insisted he was “more than happy” with their decision.
“I’m not involved in the process, just to clarify that,” Klopp told reporters.
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“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.
“I like the way his team plays football, definitely. All the things I hear about him – some people I know know him, I don’t know him yet – but some people tell me that he’s a really good guy, and I like that a lot.
“So, good coach, good guy, looking forward for the club. If he’s the solution, or the man, then I’m more than happy.
“It’s not up to me to judge these things but it all sounds really good to me.
“It’s the best job in the world, best club in the world. Obviously now, I help even by not finishing on a high – it looks like – so there’s space for improvement.
“It’s great job, fantastic people. He would take a really interesting job.”
But a report from Football Insider claims ‘senior’ Liverpool stars are ‘privately underwhelmed’ by Slot being appointed after they were ‘not consulted’ on Klopp’s replacement.
‘It is believed senior Reds stars were not consulted on the appointment by Fenway Sports Group or new CEO of Football Michael Edwards.
‘Sources say the reaction to Slot’s imminent arrival in the dressing room has been “lukewarm”.
‘The response to the appointment could be problematic for the incoming boss, who will need to rise above any backlash to win the changing room over in the early part of his Liverpool tenure.’
More: Liverpool | Arne Slot | Jurgen Klopp