Feyenoord manager and incoming Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has provided an update on when Reds fans can expect an official announcement of his arrival at Anfield.
The Dutchman is on the brink of being hired by the Merseyside giants to step into the boots of Jurgen Klopp, who will take charge of just two more games for Liverpool before stepping down from his post.
Liverpool pursued a deal for Slot after Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso elected to remain loyal to the German champions, while links with Sporting Lisbon's Ruben Amorim led to nothing either.
Slot only agreed a new deal with Feyenoord last summer to run until 2026, but Liverpool are now understood to have reached an agreement over a compensation package of around £9.4m - including an initial £7.7m - with their Dutch counterparts.
Slot has already affirmed on a couple of occasions that he is pining for the Anfield job and is hopeful that his switch to Merseyside will go through without a hitch, but neither Liverpool nor Feyenoord have provided any official confirmation yet.
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Slot: 'Announcement is a matter of days away'
The Reds are believed to be fighting a battle to bring the 45-year-old's backroom team to Anfield to replace Pep Lijnders, Peter Krawietz and Vitor Matos, all of whom will also be on the way out this summer.
As Liverpool do their utmost to hire Sibke Hulshoff, Etienne Reijnen and Ruben Peeters, which could apparently cost another £2m, Slot told the media at the weekend that confirmation is only a matter of days away.
"I can't reveal the details right now, but it is not about my contract. There are a combination of factors which is the cause why there is no announcement yet," The Mirror quotes Slot as saying.
"But don't worry. It will happen. I know I have been saying this every time over the past week, but I do expect that it really is a matter of days now. Some things just need more time."
Slot began his managerial career with AZ Alkmaar and Cambuur before taking the Feyenoord reins in 2021, clinching the Eredivisie title in his second season in charge and snubbing interest from Tottenham Hotspur last year to remain in Rotterdam.
Which Feyenoord players could Slot sign for Liverpool?
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In addition to poaching Slot and potentially his entire coaching team from Feyenoord, Liverpool could also try to bring some of the Dutchman's trusted performers to Anfield for the post-Klopp era.
A new centre-back is thought to be the top priority for Liverpool this summer, and the agent of Feyenoord's goalscoring defender David Hancko has said that there is interest from the Reds and Paris Saint-Germain in his client.
Lutsharel Geertruida could provide an alternative option in the heart of defence and was seen in attendance at Liverpool's recent draw with West Ham United, although he has largely featured as a full-back for the Dutch giants this term.
Should the Reds also see fit to bolster their midfield, Barcelona-linked Mats Wieffer or Quinten Timber - twin brother of Arsenal's Jurrien Timber - could be intriguing options, and striker Santiago Gimenez should be at the centre of a multiple-team auction this summer.
Confirmation of Slot's arrival is unlikely to arrive before Liverpool face Aston Villa on Monday, in what will be Klopp's final match on the road before the visit of Wolverhampton Wanderers to Anfield for his farewell game eight days later.
Ben Knapton
