Arne Slot could join European giants after Liverpool exit – Report | OneFootball

Arne Slot Linked with AC Milan After Liverpool Exit

Arne Slot’s Liverpool departure has barely settled before the next significant development around his future has emerged. According to talkSPORT, who reported the original article, the Dutch coach could make a swift return to management, with AC Milan now viewed as a potential destination.

Slot leaves Anfield with one Premier League title, but also with a bruising second season that turned Liverpool’s title defence into one of the most disappointing campaigns in recent club history.

Photo: IMAGO

Slot’s Liverpool Exit Raises Fresh Questions

Liverpool finished fifth in the Premier League, five points behind Aston Villa and 25 behind champions Arsenal. For a club that had spent £446million in the previous summer window, that was always going to invite scrutiny.

Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike arrived for a combined £184million, yet Liverpool still lacked rhythm, control and conviction across too many matches. Their 63 league goals ranked fourth in the division, but that figure did not disguise the wider attacking disconnection.

Defensively, there was an even greater concern. Virgil van Dijk and those around him conceded 53 league goals, only four fewer than Tottenham, who spent much of the season near the relegation fight. Poor late performances against Aston Villa and Brentford hardened the belief that change was coming.

talkSPORT understands Andoni Iraola is expected to replace Slot at Anfield, a move that would mark a sharp tactical reset for Liverpool.

Photo: IMAGO

AC Milan Interest Offers Immediate Route Back

Slot is now reportedly among the leading contenders for the AC Milan role, according to reporter Sacha Tavolieri. Milan are searching for a new head coach after Massimiliano Allegri was dismissed following one season at San Siro.

Allegri won 22 of his 42 matches, a win rate of 52.38, but Milan’s collapse proved costly. They had been top of Serie A in December, only to lose seven of their final 12 matches and finish fifth, behind Como, while Inter claimed the title.

For Slot, Milan would represent both a risk and a chance. The pressure at San Siro is unforgiving, but the squad still carries major potential. His Liverpool tenure shows he can win a league title, but also that sustaining elite standards after a major high remains the real test.

Salah Debate Adds Tension to Liverpool Fallout

The strongest reaction in the talkSPORT piece came from Adrian Durham, who argued that Slot deserved more time and pointed towards player power as a factor.

Durham said: “It was player power, wasn’t it?

“I think that Mo Salah has been a bit of a disgrace, to be honest with you.

“What I really don’t like is that he’s had this guard of honour and a farewell from Anfield, and Arne Slot’s been snuck out the back door. I think he’s a disgrace.

“He’s gone in there and won the title, and yeah, they’re miles off it with millions spent. But I thought he’d earned the right of a bit more time, especially as they did finish in a Champions League position.

“The irony is that Mo Salah has basically got Arne Slot sacked. All those players who liked Mo Salah’s post have got him sacked.”

Those remarks will divide supporters. Salah’s influence at Liverpool has been immense, and any suggestion that he drove the managerial change will naturally provoke debate. Yet the wider point is clear, Slot’s reign ended with a sense of disorder.

Liverpool Must Now Prove Decision Was Right

Liverpool’s next move has to be decisive. Slot’s exit may be justified by results, especially 12 Premier League defeats and a 25 point gap to Arsenal, but the club must now show there is a coherent plan behind the change.

Durham added: “But I think Arne Slot deserved a little bit better, but boy, Liverpool were terrible last season. 12 defeats in the Premier League, unacceptable. And as I said before, they finished 25 points off Arsenal. That’s just not acceptable.

“It was a terrible defence of the Premier League title.”

That is difficult to dispute. Slot delivered glory, then oversaw decline. If AC Milan move quickly, his next chapter could begin before Liverpool have even finished explaining the last one.

Our View – Anfield Index Analysis

From a Liverpool perspective, this report lands with a strange mix of frustration, curiosity and concern. Slot being linked with AC Milan so quickly almost makes the Anfield exit feel even more abrupt. If one of Europe’s biggest clubs believes he is still an elite level coach, it raises an obvious question, did Liverpool act with enough patience?

That does not excuse the season. Twelve Premier League defeats, 53 goals conceded and a fifth placed finish after £446million of spending cannot be brushed aside. Liverpool looked tactically muddled, emotionally flat and defensively vulnerable for long stretches. Supporters were right to expect more after winning the title.

Still, the Salah angle feels too convenient. Liverpool’s collapse was not about one player, one post or one dressing room moment. It was about structure, coaching, recruitment, balance and standards. Salah may have influence, but the idea that he alone forced this outcome feels far too simplistic.

The pressure now shifts to the club. If Iraola arrives, Liverpool need clarity fast. What is the tactical identity? Who fits? Who leaves? How does this expensive squad become coherent again?

Slot may rebuild his reputation in Milan. Liverpool must make sure they are not watching him do it while still searching for their own answers.