Arne Slot was busy guiding Feyenoord to a 5-0 win over Zwolle on Sunday, but he still found time to keep an eye on events at his future workplace.
The 45-year-old told reporters after his team’s victory that, prior to kick-off, he watched some of Liverpool’s match against Tottenham, seeing enough of the game to witness Mo Salah opening the scoring on 16 minutes.
The Dutchman said (via The Mirror): “The first goal, a great goal”, before hinting that he’ll be keeping a close watch on our final two matches of the season.
Slot continued: “It was a good win from Liverpool. If the official confirmation is there, and I go there, I will watch a lot of games from them. Sometimes in life, opportunities come along and you have to listen.”
Salah’s header to send Liverpool on their way to a 4-2 victory was indeed a brilliantly worked goal, timing his run perfectly to meet Cody Gakpo’s pinpoint cross and guide the ball past Guglielmo Vicario, scoring from open play for the first time since the end of March.
The Egyptian came into the match off the back of a week where his touchline dispute with Jurgen Klopp elicited plenty of disapproving attention, so he’ll surely have been mightily relieved to dispel those unwelcome memories with a goal and a strong overall performance on Sunday.
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Despite reports of another offer being tabled from the Saudi Pro League, The Athletic recently claimed that Anfield chiefs expect the 31-year-old to remain at the club for at least other season, rather than cashing in on him this summer as he enters the final year of his contract.
Slot would surely love to have such an incredibly consistent goalscorer to call upon once he takes charge of Liverpool, and it appears that he saw enough of Salah yesterday to be convinced of the Egyptian’s penalty box prowess.
I love the way the incoming manager reacts on Mo Salah