Feyenoord manager Arne Slot has stressed he “absolutely believes” a deal will be struck to allow him to take over from Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool this summer.
Slot has emerged as the priority target for Liverpool as they negotiate a successor for Klopp, who will resign at the end of the campaign.
The Dutchman is not yet through the door though, with a compensation package to be agree and the Reds’ initial offer already rejected by Feyenoord.
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That has left Slot to await the green light before he can sign any contract with Liverpool, though the 45-year-old is now public in his desire to manage the club.
In his post-match press conference after Feyenoord’s 3-1 win away to Go Ahead Eagles on Thursday – before which he confirmed he would “like to become new Liverpool manager” – Slot was asked whether it was difficult to wait in these situations.
“No, that’s inherent to how these things go,” he replied.
“It’s not difficult because I have the impression that a good offer has already been made, and it seems that Feyenoord is already going to make the highest-paid Dutch transfer fee for a coach.
“And somewhere I still have a bit of the idea that I have performed so well in recent years, earned so much money [for the club], that Feyenoord is thinking along those lines.
“Although ‘thinking along’ might not be the right word when you hear the amounts involved.”
Those amounts currently stand at around €9 million (£7.7m), with Feyenoord reported to be holding out for more than €10 million (£8.6m).
Asked if he hoped Feyenoord would wish him well on his move and allow him to leave, Slot said: “I don’t think ‘wish’ is the right word when you know the amounts involved.
“Wishing is when you have a clause in your contract, and that’s the maximum they’re willing to pay. Then you can talk about wishing.
“Now it’s just hard bargaining, which is everyone’s right. But I absolutely believe they will reach an agreement.”
Liverpool’s interest in Slot only became public on Tuesday, though This Is Anfield noted the shortening of odds around him taking over last Friday.
Unsurprisingly, advances from Merseyside came earlier than that, as Slot alluded – with his focus having remained on the KNVB Cup final against NEC Nijmegen last Sunday.
“Obviously, it’s nice when a big club approaches you. That wasn’t the first time in the years that I’ve been here at Feyenoord, of course,” he said.
“At the same time, you also know that there are still some very important matches coming up, including the [KNVB] Cup final.
“So we focused fully on that first. We won that, and then it got a bit more attention in the media. That’s just how it goes.”
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