Liverpool are taking their time announcing the arrival of Arne Slot as Jurgen Klopp’s successor, although the delay in going public may be more to do with the wishes of the manager’s current club Feyenoord.
Slot certainly wasn’t the initial first choice after it was announced that Klopp would be leaving Anfield and taking a rest from the game.
Xabi Alonso looked like the obvious recruit for Liverpool but he’s decided to spend at least another year with Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen, passing over the Reds opportunity and Bayern Munich.
Ruben Amorim was also strongly linked with the vacancy and there was some excitement among fans over that appointment, given how the manager has progressed the development of talent at Sporting.
Then there came the surprise of Amorim’s flight to London to hold talks with West Ham, talks which didn’t have a positive outcome.
At the time there were suggestions that trip may have been more to put pressure on Liverpool than any genuine desire to join the Hammers.
Portuguese newspaper Record hint at that today, explaining that a manager known for his emotional intelligence didn’t use a lot of it at that time.
They even blame ‘the actions of an inept agent’ for helping to create the soap opera and turning Liverpool interest into a ‘mirage’.
Amorim is now on the verge of winning the title with Sporting and could complete a double with the cup if they beat FC Porto in the final.
A move to England may have to wait for another time, and an agent who has perhaps learned a lesson.
