At this point, Arne Slot being announced as Liverpool’s next manager feels like a matter of time.
The Reds have considered multiple candidates and whilst Slot may not have been their first choice when Jurgen Klopp announced he’d be leaving, he’s the clear choice now.
Feyenoord want compensation, maybe as much as €15m, and Liverpool will be under some pressure to please the Dutch club. Should they walk away from this option then serious questions will be asked about their manager recruitment process.
Helpfully, the Eredivisie club are prepared to let him go, and there’s also an acceptance he’ll be taking some of the backroom staff with him.
But there’s now a concern over how many Liverpool will be looking at.
Feyenoord website 1908, having gone through today’s edition of De Telegraaf, states: ‘In addition to a head coach, assistant coach and a head of performance, more vacancies will become available at Liverpool after this season. The club is still looking for a new doctor and a nutritionist. Feyenoord wishes that not many people are taken away from the club and will work hard to keep as many people on board as possible.’
Liverpool moving to take medical staff and those who work in nutrition would obviously cause more concern at Feyenoord, and the Reds will have to tread carefully.
Maybe this fear is partly down to Ryan Babel.
The former Liverpool player, who often speaks in the Dutch media, said yesterday that the Reds could lose as many as 40 members of staff when Klopp leaves.
That felt like a wild claim, but it may be encouraging the concern at Feyenoord.