Liverpool could still make £6m Arne Slot decision – Opinion

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Edwards, Control, and the Next Phase

If this situation is unfolding as it appears, then the fingerprints of Michael Edwards are all over it.

Liverpool’s sporting CEO has never been reactive. His approach has always been calculated, forward-thinking, and, above all, discreet. The idea that he would allow the current instability to continue into next season feels unlikely. What feels far more plausible is that plans are already in motion.

An end-of-season review provides the perfect mechanism.

It allows the club to formally assess the campaign, acknowledge shortcomings, and arrive at a decision that feels measured rather than emotional. Within that framework, a mutual separation becomes the logical outcome—particularly if an alternative opportunity for Slot is already being positioned. Financially, it is clean.

A reported £6 million payout to cover the final year of Slot’s contract is not insignificant, but it is manageable. More importantly, it avoids the optics of a sacking. Instead, it becomes an agreed departure, one that allows both parties to move forward without public conflict. And for Liverpool, it clears the runway.

Because make no mistake, the next managerial appointment will define the next era. This squad still holds quality. It still holds potential. But it requires direction, structure, and intensity—qualities that have been missing for much of this season. By quietly facilitating Slot’s exit, Liverpool position themselves to act decisively.

The Ajax links, whether genuine or strategically amplified, serve a purpose. They shift the conversation. They create an alternative narrative. And they provide a pathway that benefits all sides.

Slot avoids the stigma of dismissal. Ajax gain a coach familiar with their footballing identity. And Liverpool regains control of their direction. In modern football, very little happens by accident.

And this feels like the beginning of something being carefully brought to an end.