Feyenoord coach, Arne Slot, has agreed terms with Liverpool with contracts set to be prepared over the weekend.
According to Fabrizio Romano, talking to CaughtOffside for his exclusive Daily Briefing, everything has been agreed and it’s just a matter of time.
“The only confirmed manager deal at this moment is Arne Slot joining Liverpool. The package will be around €13/15m with backroom staff included, it’s all agreed,” he said.
“Feyenoord and Liverpool will prepare all the contracts this weekend. Liverpool are convinced he can bring quality football, he can improve young talents and continue Klopp’s legacy at the club.”
Now that the Reds are sorted, well ahead of the summer transfer window, there’s a question mark on what’s going to happen with the plethora of other managers that have been mentioned in dispatches as potentially moving on this summer.
Slot deal done but other managers sitting tight
It’s unusual for so many managers to be likely to be out of work at the same time or to be keen to move on.
As with Liverpool, the earlier that clubs can agree deals for a new manager and his backroom staff, the better chance they’ll have in terms of being organised for the opening of the transfer market.
“Although this summer could see a domino effect in terms of managers, it’s not that easy or automatic, especially in terms of timing. As of today, none of Thomas Tuchel, Rúben Amorim, Roberto De Zerbi, Hansi Flick, Erik ten Hag, Mauricio Pochettino and others are close to any move,” Romano continued.
“Talks have taken place as usual but nothing is close or advanced. Amorim for example spoke to West Ham but won’t sign for them; for the others, it’s still quiet.
“Chelsea’s position remains the same as we said here many times; discussions to decide Pochettino’s future will take place at the end of the season, not now. In that case, the owners will be involved and we will see what they decide. Of course, European football could be an important factor for Pochettino.
“At Barcelona, Xavi has decided to stay and wanted to be involved in the club’s strategy. For example he wants a new midfielder to join Barça in the summer, and there were several points that they discussed in the recent days and he agreed with Deco and Laporta on everything. In my opinion, continuity was key for the club in this moment so it’s a good choice for all parties involved.
“I keep repeating since January that I don’t see Thiago Motta staying at Bologna next season too, that’s my information. More will follow in the next weeks as now full focus is on a Champions League spot.”
From a club and playing point of view, bringing in a new coach or manager could go one of two ways.
His presence will re-energise players that have become disillusioned under the current regime, or if the hire quickly appears to be the wrong one, then the reverse will be true.
For a team like West Ham for example, it still isn’t clear if David Moyes will stay or go. If the club don’t make their move until the Scot’s contract runs out on June 30, they’ll already be well behind their opponents in terms of deciding upon a strategy and who is best place to fulfil that directive.
A managerial merry-go-round is certainly likely to shake up the Premier League and it will be interesting to see how the clubs react after the 2023/24 campaign ends.