Rafael van der Vaart admits he ‘would have liked’ to see Arne Slot leave Eredivisie champions Feyenoord and follow in his Premier League footsteps with Tottenham Hotspur.
With Tottenham fans still basking in the glow of Sunday’s 4-0 dismantling of Champions League rivals Aston Villa, that long-winded and eventually-doomed pursuit of Arne Slot back in 2023 has been consigned to history.
Spurs turned their attention to Ange Postecoglou after Slot decided to stick around in Rotterdam and defend the title he lifted that previous campaign. Flash forward nearly 12 months and, with Feyenoord 10 points adrift of PSV Eindhoven and Tottenham cutting the gap to the top four, one suspects that Postecoglou will be a lot happier with how the season has gone than the man Spurs appeared to be prioritising before knocking on Celtic’s door.
Tottenham wanted Arne Slot before Feyenoord stay
And while the former Spurs favourite Van der Vaart is pleased to see his old employers put those miserable spells under Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte in the rearview mirror, he remains a little disappointed that Tottenham’s revival is not being sparked by a fellow Dutchman.
“I would have liked him to become the new coach there,” Van der Vaart sighs, speaking to Studio Voetbal.
Slot guided Feyenoord to their first Eredivisie title in six years last season, and their third since the turn of the century. The former AZ Alkmaar coach – who’s free-flowing, 4-3-3 system is inspired by the teachings of Pep Guardiola – would sign a new contract until the summer of 2026 after becoming the latest managerial target to rebuff Daniel Levy’s advances.
Eredivisie champion tipped for Brighton job
“Whether Slot talked to Spurs and Chelsea? Yes (he did),” Feyenoord director Dennis Te Kloese told NOS at the time, his head coach having also caught the eye of Leeds United early in 2023.
“And he should not underestimate himself, because there were more clubs interested in him. We have a good feeling about the club. Slot contributed to this to a large extent, and we also wanted to continue (with him).”
Slot, despite his Feyenoord side falling well adrift of champions-elect PSV, has been mentioned in some quarters as a potential replacement for Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool. But with HITC Football understanding that Xabi Alonso is the current favourite, 45-year-old Slot was quick to distance himself from those rumours back in January.
One former Eredivisie coach, meanwhile, is urging Slot to consider the Brighton job if Roberto de Zerbi leaves.
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