Slot, 45, will replace Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool manager this summer. Slot will leave Feyenoord having guided them to the Eredivisie title last season and the Dutch Cup this time around. Liverpool will reportedly pay Feyenoord €9m plus €2m in add-ons, though factoring in the cost of bringing Slot’s coaching staff on board too, the final cost of the venture could hit €13-€15m, per Fabrizio Romano.
The Dutchman will inherit a squad that have a handful of questions that need answering.
The futures of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah must be resolved. The respective contracts of that trio all expire in 2025. Van Dijk has emerged as a surprise target for Borussia Dortmund, while the Saudi Pro League remain determined to sign Salah.
Elsewhere, replacements will be required for Joel Matip and Thiago Alcantara if, as expected, they aren’t offered new contracts. Matip and Thiago’s existing deals both expire at season’s end.
But according to a fresh update out of Italy, Liverpool may have already found their successor to Thiago. What’s more, it’s not only a player Slot has previously managed, but one he put the armband on at a young age.
TuttoMercatoWeb provide the latest on Liverpool’s interest in Atalanta ace, Teun Koopmeiners. They state Liverpool are a genuine threat to Juventus for the Dutchman’s signing and are fully prepared to meet Atalanta’s €60m/£51.3m asking price.
Koopmeiners, 26, has been installed as Juventus’ No 1 midfield target this summer. However, the Turin club will struggle to match Liverpool’s spending power and given the Reds are seemingly prepared to pay full price, it’s Anfield where Koopmeiners’ future should lay.
Liverpool and Slot both know Koopmeiners well
Koopmeiners enhanced his growing reputation earlier this month when starring in Atalanta’s Europa League ties with Liverpool.
The Italian side thumped Liverpool at Anfield 3-0 and produced a spirited display in the return leg to thwart Liverpool’s comeback attempt.
Slot managed Koopmeiners during their time at AZ Alkmaar and the midfielder was named club captain ahead of the 2019/20 campaign. Koopmeiners was aged just 21 at the time.
Koopmeiners would go on to join Atalanta for €12m in the summer of 2021 and the next step in his career may well take him to Liverpool.
Indeed, the Dutchman has already publicly stated he wishes to experience a new challenge this summer.
“I want to leave” – Koopmeiners
Speaking to De Telegraaf during the last international break, Koopmeiners stated: “I have told Atalanta that I want to leave the club in the summer.
“I hope there will be options to consider this year… I’ve had an amazing time at Atalanta and I hope they will get a big sum.”
