'Be careful' - Arne Slot urged to avoid Real Madrid transfer repeat as Liverpool boss
Liverpool's FSG owners are set to break tradition with the appointment of Arne Slot. The Feyenoord boss is in line to take over from Jürgen Klopp at Anfield and will assume the title of 'head coach' rather than ''manager'.
The model is used by a host of top clubs across Europe with Slot responsible for coaching and leading the team. He will work under new sporting director Richard Hughes in a move that resembles a significant shift from the Klopp era.
Slot will work with Hughes to identify transfer targets but will not have control over contracts and negotiations. Yet his imminent arrival at Anfield has led to speculation over the players Liverpool could target this summer.
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Feyenoord defender Lutsharel Geertruida would relish the opportunity to join him at Anfield, reports De Telegraaf, having been in attendance for the draw with West Ham on Sunday. There have also been links to players Slot knows well from his time working in the Eredivisie, including Atalanta ace Teun Koopmeiners and Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong.
But former Netherlands international Wesley Sneijder has warned his countryman about those potential moves. He told FC Update: "You shouldn't attract too many Dutch players, I would be careful with that.
"I experienced that in Madrid. When I came, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Royston Drenthe and Arjen Robben were there. And the following year, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Rafael van der Vaart arrived.
“If the four of us play football somewhere, we’re not going to talk Spanish to each other, you keep talking in your mother tongue anyway."
Meanwhile, Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has previously been criticized for spending decent sums of money on players he had worked with in the Eredivisie, since his arrival from Ajax. The likes of Antony, Tyrell Malacia and Sofyan Amrabat have all failed to make an impression at Old Trafford.
Liverpool already has skipper Virgil van Dijk, Cody Gakpo and Ryan Gravenberch in the Dutch set-up. Slot's No.2 Sipke Hulshoff is expected to join him at Anfield, and also currently works with the national side under Ronald Koeman.
Liverpool.com says: Slot will not have free reign over signing players like Ten Hag has had at United so that should not be a concern for Liverpool supporters. He will have worked with some talents at Feyenoord but ultimately it will be down to Richard Hughes and Michael Edwards if the Reds move for them this summer.