Updated: 6 May 2026 12:44 BST |
5 min read
Arne Slot is set to remain as Liverpool manager after rejecting the chance to manage Ajax, according to reports in the Netherlands.
Slot has found himself under pressure following a disappointing campaign which has seen Liverpool drop below the lofty standards which led to them winning the Premier League title under the Dutchman last season.
The Reds suffered their 19th loss in all competitions in 2025-26 following last Sunday’s 3-2 defeat against fierce rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Liverpool bowed out of both the FA Cup and the Champions League at the quarter-final stage this term, though they remain on course to qualify for Europe’s elite club competition next season.
The Merseysiders are currently fourth in the Premier League and six points clear of sixth-placed Bournemouth, with England’s top-five teams earning qualification for the 2026-27 edition of the Champions League.
And according to Dutch reporter Mike Verweij, Slot has reportedly turned down the opportunity to return to his homeland by managing four-time European champions Ajax, with the 47-year-old keen to remain in the Anfield dugout next season.
In quotes carried by Soccernews NL, Verweij told De Telegraaf’s podcast Kick-off: “I was told once again that they [Ajax] also enquired for Arne Slot.
“Slot is still very firmly in the saddle [at Liverpool], he continues as usual. I also understand that Slot is not keen to go to Ajax at this time in his career.”
Ajax, who are currently fourth and 23 points behind champions PSV Eindhoven in the Eredivisie, are looking for a permanent manager to replace interim boss Oscar Garcia for the 2026/27 season.
Before joining Liverpool last summer, Slot earned plaudits for his impressive work at Ajax’s rivals Feyenoord, whom he led to the Eredivisie title in 2023 as well as the Dutch Cup the following season.
Slot began his managerial career with Cambuur before switching to AZ Alkmaar in 2019, with whom he spent 17 months in charge before taking over the reins at Feyenoord in July 2021.
Liverpool will look to move one step closer to securing Champions League football for next season when they play host to out-of-form Chelsea at Anfield on Saturday afternoon.
The 20-time league champions will then travel to Aston Villa on Sunday, 17 May before wrapping up the 2025-26 campaign with a home game against high-flying Brentford on Sunday, 24 May.
Analysis: United loss raised questions over Slot’s future at Liverpool
Speculation surrounding Slot’s position at Liverpool was brought to the fore once again following the recent loss to Michael Carrick’s United.
Speaking after the reverse at Old Trafford, former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher admitted he was “worried” about the direction of the club, citing last summer’s transfer business which saw technical players such as Florian Wirtz brought in at the expense of more physical ones.
While refusing to get involved in a debate as to whether Slot will remain Liverpool manager next season, Carragher was asked about the tentative links to Xabi Alonso, who is a free agent following his dismissal by Real Madrid in January.
“Xabi Alonso is the one that’s making Liverpool fans think: ‘We don’t want to miss out on him’,” Carragher told Sky Sports. “We can’t be a club who continue for the next five or 10 years saying, ‘Oh, we want Jurgen Klopp football’.
“[Klopp] was a genius. He does football better than anybody. The worry is not that there’s no identity 1778095229, the worry is that this is the identity. So it’s on the manager’s shoulders.”
However, according to The Telegraph, Slot is understood to retain the faith of Liverpool’s hierarchy ahead of the 2026/27 season.
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