Arne Slot to be handed new title at Liverpool as FSG hierarchy change emerges

Liverpool is gearing up for a significant shake-up in the boardroom and on the touchline next season. Having billed last summer as a 'rebuild', this one is shaping up to be a far more seismic shift.

A compensation package worth up to $11.7m (£9.4m/€11m) has been agreed with Feyenoord for Arne Slot, who is set to step into Jürgen Klopp's shoes. Meanwhile, Richard Hughes is preparing to take over as sporting director this summer, with Michael Edwards returning to lead the charge as newly-created CEO of football for FSG.

This raft of changes signals a shift in the club's hierarchy. Slot, who shares similar tactics and personality traits with Klopp, is expected to assume different responsibilities from his predecessor.

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According to The Times, he will be appointed as Liverpool's head coach, not manager. This seemingly minor change in title carries significant implications.

Slot's primary focus will be managing the squad, with Hughes serving as his main point of contact. Hughes is reportedly set to oversee recruitment and other football-related departments at the club, while Edwards will essentially act as the chief of operations. The 'manager' role, as embodied by Klopp, typically involves influence over many, if not all, areas of the club.

Interestingly, it's claimed that all of the candidates Liverpool approached during the interview process adopt the title of 'head coach' rather than manager at their respective current clubs. Slot is thought to be relaxed about Liverpool's proposed structure, which the club see as empowering management rather than limiting it.

The 45-year-old is likely to bring over certain members of his backroom team. That might include assistant Sipke Hulshoff and analyst Etienne Reijnen, while Ruben Peeters, head of performances, may also make the trip across the North Sea. Liverpool will have various staff members to replace, after numerous coaches decided to leave alongside Klopp.

Liverpool is said to have adopted a data-led approach to finding Klopp's successor and was impressed with Slot's talent for squeezing the maximum performance from the players at his disposal. His communication, playing style and connection with Feyenoord supporters also endeared Liverpool.

Liverpool.com says: The change in title would only confirm what we already expected about FSG's intentions in a post-Klopp world. Edwards is being significantly empowered, along with his new sporting director Hughes, and a head coach rather than a 'manager' works better within that structure.

Of course, plenty of 'head coaches' have ultimately gone on to be frustrated about a lack of say in recruitment, and the technical name of the job is not a safeguard against those tensions. Just like Klopp, it's likely that Slot would grow in influence the longer he remained at Liverpool. But it's clear what FSG envisage for the future, and it looks like a smart, data-led approach.

* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can read the original story in the Liverpool ECHO by clicking here.