That’s despite Sporting CP manager Ruben Amorim having previously been considered the favourite to take over after the Reds were rejected by Bayer Leverkusen’s Xabi Alonso. And yet, Amorim’s future is still likely to be the subject of intense speculation, having been linked with a host of other top level European clubs.
And of those has been Chelsea, with Mauricio Pochettino under inevitable pressure following his side’s chaotic 2023/24 season. The 5-0 loss to Arsenal on Tuesday signified the latest chastening result for the Blues, with many supporters calling for yet another change at the helm.
Amorim, 39, is on the verge of guiding his current club to the Primeira Liga title, with Sporting seven points clear of Benfica with just four games remaining. And he’s deployed a 3-4-3 formation to get his team to the brink, a system familiar to Chelsea fans following the 20 month-reign of Thomas Tuchel which saw the club land the 2020/21 Champions League.
Ruben Amorim had previously been heavily linked with Liverpool. (Image: Getty)
Tuchel also guided the club to FA Cup and League Cup finals the following season, losing both games on penalties to Liverpool. And his similarities to Amorim will undoubtedly bring the Portuguese boss into their frame if Pochettino does depart this summer.
For Arsenal, the benefits of Slot taking charge at Anfield are likely to come in the player transfer market, as opposed to the managerial one. The potential departure of the 45-year-old, who has won the Eredivisie title and KNVB Cup during his four-year stint in Rotterdam, is likely to lead a player exodus.
The Gunners have previously been linked with a move for Feyenoord striker Santiago Gimenez, who has scored 47 times in just 85 games for the club. Amid the misfiring form of Gabriel Jesus, Mikel Arteta is still perceived to be lacking a clinical striker in his squad, with the Mexican international a potential solution.
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And Arteta has also reportedly targeted a player whose name is already familiar to Arsenal fans. Feyenoord midfielder Quinten Timber, the twin brother of defender Jurrien has also excelled under Slot and at just 22, has already been capped by Holland at international level.
Unlike Gimenez, who is contracted to the Dutch club for three more years, Timber’s deal expires in 2026. It means the club could risk losing him for a reduced fee if they insist on keeping him for a further season, increasing the likelihood of him joining his sibling in north London if Arsenal make a move in the next transfer window.
