Slot warned two Liverpool stars will follow ‘Jesus’ Klopp in ‘leaving’ – ‘100% convinced’
Arne Slot has been warned about the risks of replacing Jurgen “Jesus” Klopp at Liverpool with two stars tipped to “leave” in the coming months.
Liverpool moved quickly to secure Slot. It emerged a couple of days ago that he had been identified as their leading candidate to replace Klopp but an agreement was reached with Feyenoord on Friday evening.
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano confirmed the news via Twitter. He said: “Arne Slot will be the new Liverpool head coach replacing Jurgen Klopp at the end of the season!
“Agreement sealed on compensation between Feyenoord and #LFC, all set also on contract details for Slot. Here we go.”
Klopp was asked about Slot during his press conference on Friday. He indicated that he is pleased with Liverpool’s decision as it “all sounds really good”.
“What I like a lot about it is if he is the one then he wants to take the job – he’s desperate, excited, let’s go for it,” Klopp told reporters.
“I like the way his team play football and all the things I hear about him as a guy. Some people I know, know him, I don’t know him yet. Good coach, good guy.
“If he’s the solution for the club then I am more than happy. It’s not up to me to judge but it all sounds really good to me.”
Unsurprisingly, Slot’s move to Liverpool has sparked debate in the Netherlands.
“That’s Jesus right there…”
As cited by Sport Witness, a couple of local journalists have discussed the move and clashed over whether Slot will be a success at Anfield with Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk (who are out of contract in 2025) tipped to “leave”.
“Pep Guardiola, he took over from Jupp Heynckes, who won the treble: European Cup, cup, champion,” warned reporter Rene van der Gijp (via Sport Witness).
“Pep didn’t bite himself to pieces, but everyone else who came after a trainer who had been promoted to Jesus, bit himself to bits. Klopp, Guardiola, José Mourinho in his prime, Sir Alex Ferguson. And in miniature: Foppe de Haan.”
READ MORE: Five players Liverpool should discard/sell for the post-Jurgen Klopp era
Fellow journalist Johan Derksen didn’t agree and backed Slot. He added: “Slot has surpassed Dick Advocaat, right? He was the trainer of Feyenoord, Slot came and showed that things can be better in a different way.”
But Van der Gijp responded: “That’s right, but Klopp has now been at Liverpool for nine years.
“He has his own café, the Klopp café, that’s Jesus right there. And everyone is leaving: Salah is leaving, Van Dijk is leaving, I am 100% convinced of that.”
