Tottenham Hotspur and Leeds United are big fans of Arne Slot but Feyenoord predecessor Dick Advocaat is convinced the ‘best coach in the world’ is not heading to the Premier League just yet.
After the COVID pandemic denied Slot to the chance to claim domestic glory at AZ Alkmaar, he took over from a man 30 years his senior at De Kuip during the summer of 2021 in a renewed attempt to break Ajax’s stranglehold of the Eredivisie crown.
And, while Ajax needed a global pandemic to stop Slot’s AZ in their tracks three years ago, it seems there are no obstacles to the 44-year-old’s success this time around. Feyenoord scored a typically dramatic late winner during March’s 3-2 triumph over their Der Klassiker rivals at the Johan Cryuff Arena. They now sit eight points clear at the top with just six league games remaining.
Some may wonder if Slot plans to pass over the baton once becoming only the second Feyenoord boss in the 21st century to get his mitts on the Eredivisie plate. Tottenham, per The Independent, see the 44-year-old as a potential replacement for Antonio Conte.
Considering his penchant for stylish attacking football and his belief in young players, Slot certainly feels like a better fit for Tottenham than any of his recent predecessors; more Mauricio Pochettino than Conte or Jose Mourinho.
Will Feyenoord boss Arne Slot take over at Tottenham or Leeds?
Leeds could return for Arne Slot following the expiration of Javi Gracia’s short-term deal too. But Advocaat, who laid the foundations for his successor’s success, is confident that Slot will be sticking around to defend the Eredivisie title in 2023/24.
“Arne Slot is not going away,” the former Sunderland, Rangers and Netherlands boss tells Veronica Offside .
“I really don’t believe that (he will leave).”
Slot, dubbed the ‘best coach in the world’ by Feyenoord winger Alireza Jahanbakhsh, was named the Dutch Football Manager of the Year in 2022. One suspects he will be the clear frontrunner to claim that particular award again in 2023.
“I’m not surprised. Arne Slot is a special coach,” former Feyenoord ace Leroy Fer tells Voetbal Primeur; his former employers hammering Shakhtar Donetsk 7-1 in the Europa League.
“Ajax can buy many players with a lot of money. That luxury is less at Feyenoord. But with the quality they have brought in in combination with Slot’s playing style, they are doing very well. (Their form) is mainly due to the coach.”
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