Arne Slot odds-on favourite for Liverpool job with deal 'close'

Ladbrokes have a new favourite in the betting on Liverpool’s next manager, with it seeming increasingly likely that Arne Slot will be the man to take over from Jurgen Klopp ahead of the 2024/25 season, with a deal said to be close to being completed.

Klopp shocked the footballing world in January when he announced that he’d be stepping down from his post as Liverpool boss at the end of the season, two years before his contract was due to expire.

Immediately after Klopp’s announcement, Xabi Alonso was made the bookies favourite, with some even viewing it as a formality that he’d be managing his former club come August 2024. However, just before winning the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen, the 2010 World Cup winner made it clear that he’d be staying with his current side for at least another year, ruling himself out of the Liverpool job, as well as the vacant managerial position at Bayern Munich, another of his former clubs.

The next favourite following Alonso’s decision to stay in Germany was Ruben Amorim, with many then viewing him as the man that was likely to take over from Klopp. The Portuguese manager, who currently leads Sporting Lisbon was just 1/6 to become Liverpool’s next manager, but David Ornstein has said that’s now ‘very unlikely’ to happen.

On April 23, several reliable journalists with close connections to Liverpool made it clear that the club was interested in Feyenoord manager Arne Slot, who last summer seemed poised to become Tottenham’s manager before the club turned to Ange Postegoclu.

Shortly after, those same reporters noted that Slot was the number one target the Reds had in mind to take over from Klopp, with Fabrizio Romano even claiming that the Dutchman was set for a second round of talks with club officials after previous discussions that were described as ‘very positive’.

So, Liverpool fans are bracing themselves to have Slot as their next manager, and that’s been reflected in the odds, with the Feyenoord boss now just 1/12 to be in the Anfield dugout from August next year, when the Premier League season begins.

Below are the fix front-runners to become Liverpool’s next manager, with Slot the odds-on favourite at just 1/12.

Roberto De Zerbi is the third-favourite at 9/1, with Brighton even reportedly highlighting Vincent Kompany as a potential next boss for them should the Italian leave the club this summer.

Amorim, who was previously the favourite for the job, is how at 8/1. The Sporting Lisbon coach held talks with West Ham this week, and did speak to Liverpool as well, but both moves are now thought to be unlikely.

• Arne Slot - 1/12
• Ruben Amorim - 8/1
• Roberto De Zerbi - 9/1
• Thomas Frank - 16/1
• Gary O’Neil - 20/1
• Thomas Tuchel - 20/1
  

Some fans may be somewhat underwhelmed with the suspected appointment of Slot, but those who have watched the Dutchman’s AZ Alkmaar and Feyenoord sides will know that they’ve been very stylistically similar to Klopp’s Liverpool.

Slot favourites a progressive, attacking brand of viewing, reporting viewing a defensive set-up as overly negative. His system, due to his similarities with Klopp, should mean that the existing Liverpool players are suited to the way he’ll want to play football at Anfield, meaning minimal additions are needed in the transfer market.

Below is an example of the formation and line-up Slot could opt for at Anfield next season with the existing squad, if he is given the job as Liverpool’s next manager.

The real differences between Klopp and Slot are that the latter opts for a 4-2-3-1 formation, rather than a 4-3-3, meaning that Liverpool fans are likely to see Dominik Szoboszlai playing higher up the pitch that he has been for the Reds this season.

However, the similarities are pretty clear for all to see, Trent would be asked to invert into the middle of the field from right-back as he has done for Klopp since April 2023, a decision that has seen Liverpool picking up wins, with the Englishman being a key reason why.

Overall, there’s a lot of reason for fans to be existed if Slot is given the job as Liverpool’s next boss, but until pen is put to paper, nothing is certain, and this saga has taught us that over the last few months.

Before the Reds can even think about a new manager, they’ll be focused on the title race, with Liverpool still just about in contention of winning the Premier League next month, with only four games left to be played.

View the latest football odds.

All odds and markets are correct as of the date of publication.