In 31 Premier League seasons, only three times have the champions been the team who recovered the most points from losing positions

When asked at which point a club gives up on a “project”, a mixture of current and former directors at Premier League clubs tend to arrive at the same answer.

“When the fans say so,” says one of them, who would like to remain nameless because he does not really want to admit publicly that, in the past, he has helped pull the trigger because of the pressure he and his colleagues were under.

On that occasion, there had been a well-laid-out plan and the club were convinced they were following the right path. Except there was the small matter of games getting in the way. When results deteriorated and the atmosphere turned, he felt like he had to act.

To save himself? A little bit. Yet he is a reminder it is a results-based business and the smartest clubs always have a succession plan if and when things go wrong — one that involves numerous options because football, after all, is a fast-moving world.

Something to consider, perhaps, especially for anyone with an interest in Tottenham Hotspur.

They face Arsenal in the North London derby tomorrow (Sunday) at the end of a season which initially promised so much — born of the early achievements of a new manager — and, despite perhaps not quite living up to those raised expectations, should still ultimately be reflected upon as progress.

There was a consensus at Spurs at the start of the season that, following the summer sale of one of the greatest players in their history, any form of European qualification at the end of it would be considered a success — and they are on course to achieve that.

Tottenham’s excellent start under Ange Postecoglou raised expectations (Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

For Tottenham fans, the example of neighbours and rivals Arsenal is worth consideration, given this is their second title attempt in as many years.

In Mikel Arteta’s first full season in charge, Arsenal finished eighth with 61 points; one point above where Spurs — in fifth with six games to go — find themselves now. Perhaps crucially for Arteta, he had won the FA Cup at the end of his debut campaign following his mid-season appointment, proving he could deliver trophies and therefore buying himself more time.

Yet, by December 2020, after a year under Arteta, Arsenal were just four points above the Premier League’s relegation zone having played more games than the teams below them.

That 2020-21 season was almost entirely played behind closed doors because of restrictions on crowds related to the COVID-19 pandemic. One can only imagine the atmosphere inside the Emirates Stadium had fans been present at the time and the pressure that would have heaped upon Arteta, who needed 18 months to really start embedding his ideas, as well as a decent transfer budget, before he started to move the team up the league.

Up the road at Spurs, Ange Postecoglou has done that already, having taken the same number of points as they won last season, when the team finished eighth, with a month of the season still to go. Yet if anything can be learned from the recent history of Arsenal, it is that good managers are judged by good directors on the progress they help a club make off the pitch as well as on it.

When push comes to shove, has Postecoglou done enough to show his chairman Daniel Levy that he can be trusted to spend the sort of money, at some point, that has helped Arsenal reach where they are now?

At football clubs, control tends to be earned through indications of progression and the building of trust. At Arsenal, it is now very much Project Arteta. Though the club have highly-respected directors above him in the hierarchy, he is now involved in everything related to its football operation.

Yet the club have only reached this point after the sacking of Unai Emery, a manager who has since relaunched his career to spectacular effect at Villarreal and now Aston Villa. Emery succeeded Arsene Wenger, whose control over two decades as Arsenal manager had been total and was tied to emotional sensitivities — leading the club to a point where, with the benefit of hindsight, everyone involved in his departure agreed they waited too long to deal with it.

Emery faced an uphill task replacing Wenger (Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)

A reflection of their new world post-Wenger was the sign on Emery’s office door, which changed from “manager” to “head coach”. Arsenal were trying to recreate how the club looked and was run. It was now led instead by directors; there were too many egos and ideas and, though it was possible to see what they were thinking, it simply did not work.

Under Arteta, there is an operation that is more like the Wenger era. While Emery could not take on the suits, the different figures now in charge at Arsenal are happy to be guided and respond well to his fellow Spaniard.

Though he won that FA Cup early on in his tenure to fuel confidence Arsenal were on the right path, the way Arteta handled big personalities — as well as the COVID-19 period — impressed his bosses.

Whenever he wins a manager of the month award, he invites his coaches into the commemorative photographs; he attempts to show that Arsenal’s development isn’t all about him. Yet he has also done a lot of work improving the working relationships with previously disillusioned staff.

In Arsenal’s toughest period under him, the top brass did not bow to pressure even if the particular circumstances at the time ensured that dissident fan voices were confined to angry reactions on social media.

Arsenal have never been a club who change managers often, but it is different across London at Chelsea — who endured the end of an era when Roman Abramovich was forced to sell up in the summer of 2022.

New owners BlueCo, a consortium led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, wanted to change things, and the hire of Graham Potter that September was evidence of that.

Only four years earlier, Potter had been in charge of Ostersunds in Sweden. But his achievements in European competition, especially, led to opportunities in the Championship at Swansea City and the Premier League with Brighton & Hove Albion. After coming 15th and 16th in the 20-club top flight in his first two seasons in charge, he led Brighton to a ninth-place finish in 2021-22 — at the time, their highest-ever — to establish his reputation at that level.

Chelsea considered Potter a central part of a huge rebuild at a club who had previously hired managers with a much higher profile.

Potter is flanked by Chelsea’s co-owners (Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)

Despite regular sackings through the 19 years of Abramovich’s ownership, a culture of success had been maintained — but the new co-chairmen Boehly and Behdad Eghbali wanted to separate from the past. They spoke of creating a more stable environment that would attract the best young players in the world, creating a squad which would serve the club for many years.

As it transpired, despite Potter signing a five-year contract, he was sacked less than seven months later having won 12 and lost 11 of his 31 games. Potter left Chelsea in a Champions League quarter-final but in the unfamiliar and lowly position of 11th in the Premier League.

It should be acknowledged that, during Potter’s tenure, huge changes were instigated both on and off the pitch. While the medical department was revamped at the club’s Cobham training ground, so too was their scouting department. He inherited a squad filled with 10 new signings from the previous summer’s transfer window, and the club made another seven in January 2023. A bloated first-team squad of 33 players struggled to fit into the dressing room at Cobham.

Given the scale of the transformation, it was always going to take time for things to settle down and allow the head coach to build a new culture. In Potter’s previous roles, as demonstrated at Brighton, he had not changed the fortune of his teams overnight. Yet Chelsea’s new owners were inevitably keen to show they were on the same page as the fanbase and, under intense pressure, they buckled and Potter was sacked.

If Premier League directors agree that good practice is knowing what to do next, Chelsea failed on that front, too. With no agreements in place to secure a replacement, Frank Lampard was asked to return to the club for a second spell as manager and, with a caretaker boss in place, results duly deteriorated.

Lampard was succeeded last summer by Mauricio Pochettino — a manager with the sort of profile that might have seen him earmarked in the Abramovich era. Pochettino has lasted longer than Potter, but Chelsea are only three points closer to European qualification.

Perhaps key men like Boehly and Eghbali can see greater progress being made off the field. Yet, under Pochettino, Chelsea have endured some damaging defeats, with the Carabao Cup final against Liverpool somewhere near the top of that list — especially considering the number of injuries their opponents had to deal with at the time. So, too, was Tuesday night’s 5-0 humiliation away to Arsenal.

Chelsea officials expected the club to qualify for Europe — and, primarily, the Champions League — under Pochettino, and they are nowhere near that. Like Potter, he has suffered from the unavailability of players this season — though that did not prove a mitigating factor when Potter’s future came under scrutiny.

Pochettino has endured a difficult season at Stamford Bridge (Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

There might be a temptation to consider Pep Guardiola an immovable object considering his impact on the sport.

At Manchester City, there has never been any indication of him facing the sort of pressure experienced by Arteta, Potter and Pochettino. But City had been attempting to secure him as their manager, and Lionel Messi as a player, at various points since the Abu Dhabi takeover in 2008.

Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak is, was and seemingly always will be genuinely convinced that Guardiola is the right man to lead his club and has never done anything but be supportive by trying to meet his needs.

Yet in Marti Perarnau’s latest book about Guardiola, he reveals that the manager was worried he would be sacked in his 2016-17 debut season if City — who had already lost 4-0 at Camp Nou — did not beat Barcelona in the reverse fixture a couple of weeks later to give themselves a good chance of progressing from their Champions League group. While there is nothing in the book laying out the club’s point of view, it seems unlikely this would ever have happened.

It is important to note that, according to Perarnau, during contract talks before he agreed to join City, they promised him an overhaul of an ageing squad, particularly in defence. Guardiola subsequently discovered that they could only carry out half of this business in the season after he joined, with the rest of the revamp to be completed ahead of year two.

Guardiola feared he might lose his job ahead of a meeting against his former club in 2016 (Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

City knew the first campaign, in which Guardiola led the team to a third-place finish in the Premier League, would be relatively difficult. Added to that was the fact they had revolutionised their academy by asking their youth teams to play the style of football Guardiola had brought to Barcelona and, besides, there was very little critical noise from the fanbase. Guardiola was always going to be granted more time to correct any problems.

There was a time in late 2020 when it seemed it was going a bit stale at City, but the club were determined that Guardiola would stay. Some people think that, if it was up to them, he would never leave.

It would have been interesting to gauge just how far that commitment would have extended had things not gone as well as they have since 2017.

(Top photos: Getty Images)

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Managers are appointed with the long-term in mind, but Graham Potter lasted less than seven months while Mikel Arteta was given time

Jurgen Klopp's team have to dust themselves off after a shock Merseyside derby defeat and look to put things right against West Ham as they aim to seal Champions League football for next season

Jurgen Klopp's team have to dust themselves off after a shock Merseyside derby defeat and look to put things right against West Ham as they aim to seal Champions League football for next season

Jurgen Klopp questions his Liverpool players' stomach for the fight after Wednesday's 2-0 defeat at Everton,

Jurgen Klopp questions his Liverpool players' stomach for the fight after Wednesday's 2-0 defeat at Everton,

Liverpool has made a breakthrough with Feyenoord, and Arne Slot is now expected to become the new manager. The Dutchman himself had previously confirmed that he was waiting on an agreement between the two clubs.

That compensation package has now been put together. Incredibly, Slot will become Feyenoord's record transfer.

It's also thought that Liverpool has shelled out one of the highest ever fees for a manager. Slot was contracted until 2026 with Feyenoord, and had no release clause.

READ MORE: Liverpool has $62m reason to hire Arne Slot but Michael Edwards must avoid Jürgen Klopp mistake

READ MORE: Liverpool and Feyenoord 'reach Arne Slot compensation agreement' with one thing left to do

The Athletic reported initially that a first offer of $9.6m (£7.7m/€9m) had been rejected by Feyenoord. The Telegraph believes that Liverpool may have agreed to a moderate compromise.

It reports that there are 'suggestions' that Liverpool has paid around $11.2m (£9m/€10.5m) to release Slot from his contract with the Dutch side. It comes after 48 hours of talks.

Jürgen Klopp gave his backing to Slot in his latest press conference. Meanwhile, Virgil van Dijk has also come out in support of the appointment, which now looks imminent.

"I think Slot is one of the better Dutch coaches at the moment," declared Van Dijk. "With the way he plays and the philosophy he has, he can be a Liverpool coach."

We'll soon see if Van Dijk is right. Slot has some big shoes to fill, and now a pretty hefty price tag, but Michael Edwards clearly believes he has found his man.

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Arne Slot is set to become the next man in charge at Anfield.

On Friday night, Liverpool agreed a compensation package with Feyenoord that will allow the 45-year-old to become Jurgen Klopp’s successor following the conclusion of the current season.

Slot’s pedigree has grown across European football in the past 18 months after he led Feyenoord to only their second Eredivisie title in 20 years last season, losing just two games in the process.

Feyenoord’s 1-0 victory over NEC in the KNVB Cup last weekend secured a second trophy in three seasons for Slot but his reigning champions are nine points behind a rampant PSV Eindhoven at the top of the Eredivisie.

Yet this is hardly proof of a significant slump in performances. Feyenoord’s 2.4 points per game is actually identical to their title-winning campaign which reflects their consistency over a long period. In Peter Bosz’s PSV, they have simply been up against the most prolific chance creators across Europe’s top seven leagues.

If anything, Feyenoord’s vital signs look stronger this year under Slot, with their 1.9 expected goal difference per 90 minutes — which accounts for chances created and conceded — an improvement on last season’s 1.1.

The Athletic has previously unpacked Arne Slot, the player, the man, the manager — but what exactly is his tactical identity? And how might this translate to Liverpool’s current crop?

GO DEEPER

Arne Slot: the rise of Liverpool's incoming manager - 'He’s as honest as possible'

Liverpool have agreed a deal to appoint Arne Slot as their new manager — and The Athletic has every angle covered.

Slot knows little else but to play on the front foot, whoever the opponent may be.

The Dutchman commonly sets up with a 4-2-3-1 formation in possession, using a midfield double pivot to progress centrally through the first line of pressure, with a No 10, two wingers and a central striker.

Unsurprisingly, Pep Guardiola and Roberto De Zerbi are among the managers he is most inspired by, but Slot is also known to admire Marcelo Bielsa, Jorge Sampaoli, Jurgen Klopp, Luciano Spaletti and Mikel Arteta. He has also shared ideas with Liverpool assistant coach and fellow Dutchman Pep Lijnders.

Slot would frequently show his players clips of Manchester City and Brighton to show them how he wanted to play.

“We used a lot of videos of Manchester City and Bayern — he was crazy about Pep, how his teams create space, how they attack,” former AZ manager John van den Brom, who had Slot as one his assistants, told The Athletic.

One such video was of the 2021 Champions League final between City and Chelsea, which he showed to his players in his first team meeting at Feyenoord to demonstrate the quality of the two teams’ attacking play but also how well their defences countered it.

“What was nice for me is that he always thought in an attacking way,” Van den Brom added. “(His focus was) how can we make it clear to the players how we want to play? We were always searching for different ideas.”

When you watch Slot’s Feyenoord, you can see parallels with Guardiola and De Zerbi’s approach, particularly in build-up. Defenders are encouraged to play short passes into midfield, who then find the space out wide from the full-backs or wingers.

Take this recent example away to Fortuna Sittard.

Goalkeeper Timon Wellenreuther attracts the pressure from the opposition striker, with centre-backs Thomas Beelen and David Hancko closely flanking him. Note the double pivot of Mats Wieffer and Quinten Timber operating on staggered lines in midfield, prepared to bounce the ball through the heart of the pitch for central progression — much like De Zerbi’s Brighton in a 3-2 set-up.

As Hancko receives it, he fizzes it forward into Timber, who attracts pressure from two Fortuna Sittard players. That opens up space for full-back Lutsharel Geertruida, who receives the pass from Timber as Feyenoord progress out of pressure.

This approach is reflected in Feyenoord’s playstyle wheel, which outlines how each team looks to play compared with Europe’s top seven leagues.

Feyenoord’s “Deep build-up” rating (86 out of 99) reflects how Slot will often ask his goalkeeper to keep his passes short into his centre-backs to build through the thirds. Unsurprisingly, Feyenoord will often dominate possession (61 per cent) with only PSV having a higher share of the ball in the Eredivisie. Both are among the highest in Europe’s top seven leagues (Possession, 92 out of 99).

Slot’s version of the 4-2-3-1 could strengthen Trent Alexander-Arnold’s case to move away from full-back under Slot, as the 25-year-old has grown accustomed to forming a double pivot with the No 6 — either alongside Alexis Mac Allister or Wataru Endo — when he inverts in possession.

The box created by two centre-backs and two deeper midfielders is key to Slot’s initial build-up phase, and having one of the best passers in world football would provide a key weapon in beating the opposition’s initial press.

One player who might need to adapt is Ibrahima Konate, with questions remaining about his quality in possession and ability to pick out a line-breaking pass. Youngster Jarell Quansah has shown more comfort in possession, but with Joel Matip set to depart at the end of his contract in the summer, a ball-playing right-sided centre-back could be high on the priority list.

Slot’s focus on possession-dominance is not to say that his team dawdles on the ball. The energy and purpose that Feyenoord play with is analogous to Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool — a style that can be direct without making them long-ball team.

This is reflected in their “Circulate” metric (54 out of 99), which might appear average in the context of wider European football, but highlights Feyenoord’s variety in how they advance through the thirds — sometimes speeding the game up with progressive passes and sometimes slowing it down by working the ball side-to-side.

Variety is a key word in Slot’s vocabulary.

His training sessions are high-octane, but he will often rotate the drills to keep his players interested.

“Slot and his coaches ask so much from his players, it’s unbelievable,” says Martijn Krabbendam, who covers Feyenoord for Voetbal International. “Every training (session) is high intensity. He demands a lot of those players but they don’t mind because his way of training and his exercises are at such a high level. And there’s always something new to give the players some joy in what they’re doing.”

All exercises are ultimately centred on Feyenoord increasing their chances of scoring a goal, and when it comes to the attacking phase there are a selection of approaches that have been particularly lucrative this season.

First, Slot’s direct play is shown below against Heracles, where full-back Geertruida finds Wieffer dropping inside the opposition defensive block. Wieffer turns and plays a simple, lofted ball to striker Santiago Gimenez who races through to finish one-v-one. From back to front in little more than seven seconds.

That progression through the heart of the opposition defence can also be more refined and intricate. Just three passes were needed in getting from centre-back Gernot Trauner to winger Igor Paixao as Feyenoord’s forward-thinking style pierced Utecht’s defence.

Feyenoord’s average “Patient attack” rating (42 out of 99) reflects such versatility going forward. They can play direct but also like to use their full-backs to provide the team’s width, allowing the attackers in front to drift centrally and rotate between themselves.

For Slot, this has two benefits. The first is that the full-back can overlap and provide an attacking threat by getting to the byline to cross the ball — often via cutbacks.

As shown by this goal against Ajax, Feyenoord regain the ball high up, with No 10 Calvin Stengs releasing right-back Bart Nieuwkoop who is racing beyond him. Nieuwkoop fools three Ajax players to pull the ball back to Yankuba Minteh hovering near the penalty spot.

Cutbacks have been a key weapon for Feyenoord this season and for those interested in looking at the tape, goals against NEC, Excelsior, Heerenveen, Almere City, and Lazio will reveal similar patterns of play.

The second benefit of these flying full-backs is to make space for Feyenoord’s forwards to play searching crosses to the back post. As shown below, there are multiple examples of an inverted winger cutting onto his stronger foot to find an onrushing team-mate to meet their cross. Creating overloads on the flank allows these players to have more space to pick their pass.

Such an approach is a throwback to Klopp’s peak era when Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson were the team’s creative lynchpins from advanced areas.

If Slot were to implement a similar style at Liverpool, the roles would be ideally suited to the attacking instincts and athleticism of Robertson and Conor Bradley in particular, if Alexander-Arnold were to move into midfield.

Slot demands similar versatility from his wide forwards, often overloading on one side of the pitch to create a one-on-one on the opposite flank. At AZ Alkmaar and Feyenoord, Slot seemed to prefer a ball-carrying left winger, who favoured cutting inside and combining with teammates — music to the ears of Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo, who both relish attacking their opposite full-back.

On the other flank, Mohamed Salah’s elite ball-carrying has diminished in recent seasons, but with Slot keen on his wingers inverting, often forming dual No 10s in central spaces, Liverpool’s wide triangles might make a more sustained comeback.

In truth, Liverpool’s recent transfer business would benefit Slot with a versatile squad that has evidenced its ability to switch between different roles and systems. A move from Klopp’s 4-3-3 to Slot’s 4-2-3-1 would likely be a smooth transition given their adaptation to a 3-box-3 structure in the past 12 months.

The No 10 role might be well-suited to multiple Liverpool players in the squad, with Cody Gakpo seemingly more suited to an advanced central role behind a front three. Elsewhere, Alexis Mac Allister has evidenced his attacking qualities in an advanced role since the turn of the year, while Harvey Elliott is expert at finding pockets of space in advanced central areas.

Slot’s focus on intensity is mirrored in Feyenoord’s approach out of possession.

The 45-year-old will often ask his defence to squeeze the pitch, closing the space to allow his midfield and forward line to set traps.

Take this example against PSV Eindhoven.

As centre-back Olivier Boscagli receives the ball, Gimenez is blocking the passing lane in one direction, while Minteh hurries to block the pass to the left. As Minteh engages, note how midfielders Timber and Wieffer have pushed and locked onto PSV’s midfielders man-to-man, giving Boscagli no passing options (slide 2). Minteh dispossesses the PSV defender and beats the goalkeeper to score into an empty net.

Slot’s side do not always look to strangle the opposition out of possession — often retreating to a compact 4-4-2 off the ball — but high pressing with a purpose has been a key theme of Feyenoord’s season. No Eredivisie side has registered more goal-ending high turnovers — open-play sequences that start 40 metres or less from the opponent’s goal — than Feyenoord’s 11 this season.

It is worth highlighting how much Slot has instilled this style since he arrived at Feyenoord in the summer of 2021. Below, you can see how Feyenoord’s style has evolved over time and there is a notable uptick in their defensive approach (red metrics). Not only are they playing with more intensity and with a higher line, but they also now boast one of the best defensive records on the continent this season (Chance prevention, 95 out of 99).

Only Sporting CP, Juventus, Inter Milan and Arsenal average a lower non-penalty expected goals conceded than Feyenoord’s 0.73 per 90 across Europe’s top seven leagues.

To build such physical robustness, pre-season preparation and conditioning throughout the season are very important for Slot. One of his core beliefs is that players should never stand still on the pitch, they always be on the move.

In technical meetings, he relays this vision to the players and stresses that, by being fitter than their opponents and outworking them, his team can win even if their quality drops. Few people will need reminding just how much this closely aligns with Liverpool’s approach since Klopp arrived.

Slot’s scientific perspective to training will also align with Liverpool’s data-led mantra. The Dutchman was aware that his desire for an intense, hard-running approach in matches and training had to be balanced by caution that his players weren’t being overworked.

Attention to detail is known to be a key part of his management. He worked closely with the data and fitness teams at Feyenoord to see if players’ numbers were dropping in any metric and they looked vulnerable to injury. “Take care of your body,” Slot would say to his players.

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Access all areas at Arne Slot's Feyenoord: Kickboxing, Beckham clips and why he stayed

Beyond the high-possession, high-pressing, clinical attacking football, Slot has shown that he can achieve success without vast spending — a trait that will be attractive to FSG, whose self-sustaining financial model is sacrosanct.

Feyenoord have not spent more than €8million on a player in the club’s history, with a revenue that is comfortably trumped by Dutch rivals PSV and Ajax. Slot has shown his ability to improve the value of his players and promote youth development.

It is another aspect to a manager who has more parallels to Klopp’s approach than people might have initially thought. There are no guarantees of success but Slot seems to tick many of the boxes.

Additional reporting: Charlie Eccleshare and Andy Jones

(Top photo: John Thys/AFP via Getty Images)

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High possession, hard pressing and a fast tempo are all key to the Dutch coach - sound familiar?

Liverpool have tonight reached an agreement with Feyenoord for the services of their manager Arne Slot, who will replace the departing Jurgen Klopp

Liverpool have tonight reached an agreement with Feyenoord for the services of their manager Arne Slot, who will replace the departing Jurgen Klopp

Liverpool and Feyenoord have reached an agreement over a compensation package for Arne Slot. That's according to big news out of the Netherlands.

Dutch outlet AD has broken the story that Liverpool and Feyenoord have come to a 'verbal agreement' after days of productive talks. It's now expected that the deal will be finalized rapidly.

Indeed, the report claims that Liverpool hopes to complete the move this weekend. Further barriers are not expected.

READ MORE: Liverpool has $62m reason to hire Arne Slot but Michael Edwards must avoid Jürgen Klopp mistake

READ MORE: Liverpool has already been sent Alexander Isak transfer warning amid Darwin Núñez questions

Liverpool had previously seen an opening offer of $9.6m (€9m/£7.7m) for Slot rejected by Feyenoord, per The Athletic. But it seems a breakthrough has been made.

There is just one thing left to do, with only 'the final details and the actual signing' needed before Slot is officially the Liverpool manager, succeeding Jürgen Klopp. His comments earlier in the week heavily implied that personal terms would not be an issue once the two clubs could reach an accord.

Klopp has lent his backing to Slot, albeit reiterating that he played no part in the process of selecting his successor. Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has also spoken positively about the Feyenoord boss.

Liverpool.com says: We'll bring you more as it happens, but it looks like Slot to Liverpool is definitely happening now. It's an interesting choice from Michael Edwards and his team.

Not many expected the Feyenoord boss even a week ago, but there has been a lack of clear standouts since Xabi Alonso decided to stay at Bayer Leverkusen. The data clearly supports Slot, and it will be fascinating to see what he brings to the table.

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Liverpool and Feyenoord have now agreed a fee for manager Arne Slot, who will make the switch to Anfield this summer as replacement for Jurgen Klopp.

Though Liverpool saw an initial offer of compensation for Slot turned down earlier this week, both clubs remained intent on reaching an agreement.

With the 45-year-old resolved to join as Klopp’s successor, talks continued and a package has now been agreed ahead of the summer.

• READ: Arne Slot: The Dutch football view on new Liverpool manager

This is according to sources in both England and the Netherlands, with the latter explaining that it is a verbal agreement as it stands.

VI‘s Martijn Krabbendam explains that “the deal is currently being fully put down on paper” and “the final agreement will follow tomorrow.”

Liverpool’s first, rejected offer stood at around €9 million (£7.7m), but reliable Feyenoord source 1908.nl reports that the deal is worth closer to €15 million (£12.8m).

It ensures Slot is the most expensive manager in Dutch history, which highlights Liverpool’s determination to land the right candidate in the wake of Klopp’s resignation.

There are not expected to be any hiccups when it comes to personal terms with the coach himself, with it almost certain that these have been at least provisionally agreed beforehand.

Slot still has three games left in charge of Feyenoord, starting on Sunday night at home to former club PEC Zwolle, but his work at Liverpool would begin soon after.

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The Dutchman will serve as the on-field figurehead of a new regime at Anfield, with a number of staff likely to follow him from Rotterdam, too.

Fenway Sports Group have already presided over a restructure of Liverpool’s boardroom, with Michael Edwards now their CEO of football while Richard Hughes is in as sporting director and David Woodfine his assistant.

Slot is due to operate as a head coach, rather than a traditional manager, fitting into the existing structure as opposed to fronting it.

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Liverpool and Feyenoord have agreed a compensation package that will allow Arne Slot to become Jurgen Klopp’s successor at Anfield.

The 45-year-old Dutchman is now free to join Liverpool in the summer after the conclusion to Feyenoord’s Eredivisie campaign.

The Athletic reported earlier this week that Liverpool had an opening offer of €9million (£7.7m, $9.6m) rejected by Feyenoord but the two parties have now reached an agreement.

Slot confirmed on Thursday that he wanted the Liverpool job, telling ESPN before Feyenoord’s Eredivisie win over Go Ahead Eagles that he was “confident” an agreement would be reached between the two sides for a move to go through.

Feyenoord assistant coach and head of performance Ruben Peeters are set to join Slot at Liverpool.

Slot’s imminent appointment was endorsed by Klopp at his press conference on Friday afternoon ahead of Liverpool’s Premier League match against West Ham United.

“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,” said Klopp, who is stepping down at the end of season after nine years at the helm.

“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.”

GO DEEPER

Arne Slot: the rise of Liverpool's incoming manager - 'He’s as honest as possible'

Liverpool’s interest in Slot only became apparent earlier this week, as they placed emphasis on discretion and showing respect to Feyenoord ahead of last Sunday’s Dutch Cup final, a match they then won against Nijmegen.

Slot guided Feyenoord to the Eredivisie title last season and his side are second in the table with three matches remaining this term. Following last season’s title win, Slot attracted the interest of Tottenham Hotspur but the 45-year-old eventually turned them down and they appointed Ange Postecoglou instead.

Slot has won plaudits for his attacking style of football and ability to develop younger players — attributes which closely align with what Liverpool are looking for as they search to replace Jurgen Klopp, who announced his departure from the club at the end of this season in January.

Xabi Alonso — before he announced last month he is to remain at Bayer Leverkusen for next season — and Ruben Amorim were among the other candidates Liverpool considered to replace Klopp before they settled on Slot. After their arrivals earlier this year, Fenway Sports Group’s CEO of football, Michael Edwards, and Richard Hughes, Liverpool’s newly appointed sporting director, have taken charge of the managerial search.

Liverpool are third in the table and face West Ham United in their next match.

Why have Liverpool chosen Slot?

Analysis by The Athletic’s Liverpool correspondent James Pearce

Liverpool have got their man.

Having assessed the merits of a wide range of managerial candidates across Europe, a search led by Fenway Sports Group’s CEO of football Michael Edwards, and new sporting director Richard Hughes ended with them knocking at Feyenoord’s door.

After a lengthy process of due diligence, Arne Slot was deemed the best possible fit in terms of the main criteria for the job.

His attacking, high-intensity, attractive playing style was a big part of the appeal for Edwards and Hughes. They believe it will suit the squad of players he inherits.

So too his proven track record of developing young players as well as his man-management and communication skills. The character references gathered from those who have worked alongside him were glowing.

It’s undoubtedly a big step up for Slot. There are some huge boots to fill with Jurgen Klopp moving on.

The pressure and scrutiny at Anfield will be a world away from life in Rotterdam. It represents something of a gamble given that Slot hasn’t coached in one of Europe’s five major leagues previously.

But in truth, anyone who Liverpool went for after Xabi Alonso ruled himself out of the running would have divided opinion.

Slot’s body of work in Holland is mightily impressive. Now he has to repay the faith show in him.

GO DEEPER

Liverpool's €9m Slot bid and why managers are cheaper than players

(Photo by Rico Brouwer/Soccrates/Getty Images)

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Liverpool and Feyenoord have agreed a compensation package that will allow Arne Slot to become Jurgen Klopp’s successor at Anfield. The 45-year-old Dutchman is now free to join Liverpool in the summer after the conclusion to Feyenoord’s Eredivisie campaign. The Athletic reported earlier...

Arne Slot looks set to become the next Liverpool manager. Not an early front-runner, he has nonetheless clearly emerged as the preferred candidate for Michael Edwards following Xabi Alonso’s decision to stay at Bayer Leverkusen.

Everyone’s been caught scrambling to a certain extent to work out exactly why Liverpool’s data wizards have thrown up the name of Slot as the one to replace Jürgen Klopp. But from a preliminary look, it seems Edwards has found a relatively close style match.

Per Melissa Reddy for Sky Sports, that’s why Slot rose above Rúben Amorim. The Portuguese coach’s preference for three at the back would have been a major departure for Liverpool, and one that was not appealing.

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There are clear benefits to keeping a broadly similar philosophy in place. It helps to ensure a good fit with the existing squad, for one, minimizing upheaval by negating the need to go out and make lots of transfers to suit the new manager’s style.

But Reddy also touched upon another potentially important aspect of Edwards’ reasoning. She writes that Amorim “did not fit the current squad nor the philosophy implemented through all age groups at Liverpool.”

That age group point is fascinating. Klopp has earned his reputation for giving young talent a chance, but Liverpool has also made that possible through its clear commitment to forging a pathway, ensuring youngsters can step off the conveyor belt into a side that does not look too dissimilar to the ones in which they have been playing.

The construction of the AXA Training Centre tied into much the same themes. Liverpool’s owners FSG committed $62m (£50m/€58m) to the project, which brought the youth and senior teams physically closer together.

If Slot keeps a broadly similar style in place, the steady stream of young talent should not be stemmed too much. Given the impact the likes of Jayden Danns and Conor Bradley have been able to make this season, that’s not to be taken lightly.

On the other hand, Edwards has to make completely sure that the data hasn’t led him to try and find a sort of Klopp-lite. Anyone seeking to be a direct replacement would fail.

After all, nobody can be as good a man-manager as Klopp. Taking somebody who uses the same tactics but cannot measure up as a motivator would be a surefire way to see Liverpool drop off.

Nor can the Academy be a shrine to Klopp forevermore. Having a clear club DNA is a good thing, and you'd hope that Liverpool has laid down some basic principles that will now stand the test of time, but there's only so long it could be held together in its entirety with the man himself out of the building.

And after nearly nine years, there’s also an argument that Liverpool might have benefited from a relatively significant tactical jolt. That’s not to say three-at-the-back under Amorim was the smart move, but there’s something to be said for shaking things up from time to time.

The question that hangs over Slot, then, is how he can differentiate himself from Klopp. Trying to be a clone would be a major mistake — but if he can innovate within a broadly similar tactical framework, he could just be the perfect man for Liverpool, from top to bottom. Edwards seems to think so.

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Arne Slot might be standing on the Anfield touchline next season and Liverpool fans will be eager to learn about what he offers if appointed.

Arne Slot might be standing on the Anfield touchline next season and Liverpool fans will be eager to learn about what he offers if appointed.

It seems pretty clear now that Arne Slot is Liverpool bound.

His last game as Feyenoord head coach will be on May 19 at home to Excelsior.

Excelsior is Latin for higher.

And Slot is heading for higher things.

A job high up the world football scale, he hopes to bring more highs to Anfield.

High energy, high line, high entertainment.

Slot's high on the charm scale too, and that is important to Liverpool.

Not as important as winning and playing style of course, but a big factor in choosing Slot.

Like Jurgen Klopp he's got a glint in his eye, and he's got swagger, and like Jurgen, Arne has a perfect set of white teeth - and a big friendly smile that makes the most of them.

He loves a camera, and finds dealing with intense media scrutiny very easy.

His news conference on Thursday night at Go Ahead Eagles underlined that, as did our brief interaction on the steps of the Feyenoord team hotel a few hours earlier.

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Feyenoord boss Arne Slot had an exchange with Sky Sports News reporter Gary Cotterill as he was asked about taking the Liverpool job

After the match, Slot was frank. Very frank.

In front of a room full of Dutch media - foreign media were banned from attending by the host club - he wasn't asked at all about the 3-1 away win that had just guaranteed Feyenoord Champions League football again next season.

All the questions were about Liverpool, and he answered every one.

No platitudes, no "No comment", no dodging the issue.

Just, almost, full disclosure.

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Feyenoord boss Arne Slot says he is confident the club will reach an agreement to allow him to join Liverpool as Jurgen Klopp's successor

Yes: He wants Liverpool.

Yes: Liverpool want him.

Yes: Negotiations are complicated… but

Yes: He was sure a deal could be done.

A perfect performance, and 11 months ago he handled the Tottenham links with similar panache.

As mentioned, that ability to get the media onside was very much on show at the team hotel earlier in the day, too.

He jumped off the team bus, with a big smile on his face, fully aware myself and Sky cameraman 'Spiney' were waiting to pounce.

Not for him bolting straight to the hotel entrance door.

Instead he got his (perfectly ironed) match night shirt and suitcase from the luggage compartment, and played along with us.

He agreed, when questioned, that he was 'in the news' and 'wanted to go to the Premier League'.

And, but for an over-zealous hotel duty manager getting in the way, he would have said more.

That 'doorstep' as we call it, went around the world.

His demeanour and good grace was commented on by many.

But there's another part to that encounter. And here it is.

When the team bus left the training ground for the 90-mile drive to the hotel, we were about to make the same journey.

We knew which hotel they were heading too.

But the driver thought we were following the coach - and the head coach - and, jokingly went three times around a traffic island to pretend to try and shake us off!

Football banter at its best.

Image: The Feyenoord team bus tried to give Sky Sports News' Gary Cotterill the slip!

Slot and the players loved it… I even suspect Slot suggested the driver did it!

On the subject of football travel, two of Slot's Feyenoord squad have unexpected ways of getting to training everyday.

Unexpected for top pro players that is.

Yankuba Minteh, on loan from Newcastle, cycles in, posing with fans wanting photos on the way.

Fellow young forward Leo Sauer walks!

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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp appeared to endorse his potential successor Arne Slot, describing him as a 'good coach and a good guy'

Of course, Feyenoord to Liverpool is a very big step.

But those who know Slot on and off the pitch say he's up to the challenge.

He'll be dealing with bigger, better players at Anfield of course, but even the rich and famous respond to kindness and humour.

From what I have seen, Slot has that in bucket loads.

No doubt, it's easier being nice when you're winning, and doing that is the very least expected of Slot from the word go at Liverpool.

The stakes are high.

Expectations are higher.

Excelsior.

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Melissa Reddy shares the latest on Feyenoord's Arne Slot proposed switch to Liverpool to replace Jurgen Klopp Essential Questions Podcast: Is Slot the man for Liverpool?

Ron Walker is joined by Sky Sports News' senior reporter, Melissa Reddy and Sky Sports football journalist Adam Bate to discuss Slot's potential move to Liverpool as Klopp's successor.

Subscribe now on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

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