With four games left of the season and little to play for after Liverpool lost at Everton on Wednesday, it is understandable that the focus for some has shifted to what comes next: Arne Slot. Now confirmed by the man himself, negotiations are underway to bring the Dutch coach to Anfield.

Jürgen Klopp might have pointed out that Champions League qualification is not mathematically secured yet for the Reds but it would take a remarkable collapse for that not to be sorted out. Liverpool is still eight points ahead of Spurs even if you imagine that Tottenham has already won its two games in hand.

That means that it is nearly confirmed that Liverpool will end Klopp's final season with one trophy — the Carabao Cup — and a top-four finish. It wouldn't be the German's most successful campaign but it certainly wouldn't be his worst either.

READ MORE: 'No secret' - Arne Slot confirms Liverpool negotiations and outlines what he wants to happen

READ MORE: Arne Slot has said all the right things to prove exactly why he's perfect next Liverpool manager

In all likelihood, the only thing that has stopped Liverpool from winning the title is injuries. Mid-season, the number of problems that arose was coped with at the time, but there has been a lag effect.

The likes of Joe Gomez and Wataru Endō have looked in recent weeks like they have been overplayed, while Mohamed Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai have been shadows of their former selves since making a return. Klopp's squad, collectively, looks shattered.

Ultimately, though, the only reason that it feels to Reds fans like the end of the world that the title push has been derailed is the circumstances rather than the manner. Liverpool has overachieved this season, in many respects, even if it might not feel like it just yet.

Last summer, Liverpool rebuilt its entire midfield. It had finished behind Manchester United and Newcastle in the Premier League standings and key figures in the dressing room — Roberto Firmino, Jordan Henderson and Fabinho — moved on.

Klopp viewed this season as a fresh start and labeled his new-look side as Liverpool 2.0. Were it not for the fact that the German is leaving in four games' time, what has unfolded would be heralded as being a big step forward.

As ever, there is context and nuance. Liverpool was in pole position for the Premier League title only a couple of weeks ago and it was in the Reds' hands. From there, it has collapsed. Even then, though, it would have taken perfection to stave off Manchester City and Arsenal. Just one draw could have been fatal.

Last summer, had you said to most people that Liverpool would end up coming so close to winning the league and would also pick up some silverware at Wembley, everyone would have taken that. Only now has that changed because of Klopp.

That is only natural, of course, and no one is wrong to feel that way. When something is so close, the desperation for it to have happened is understandable. But equally, the reality is that Liverpool has improved dramatically this season and should do so again next year even with the change of manager.

If it is Slot who takes over, as appears close to being the case, then the Dutchman will have a talented squad available to him with the experience of this season under their belt. With a couple of transfer additions, the team will improve further as well and it will be his task to build on the foundations left behind.

When the disappointment of how the Klopp era is set to come to an end is replaced by the excitement for the season and a new head coach, Liverpool will realize its current reality. Things are never as bad as they might seem; this season has actually been a lot better than most people anticipated, even if it might take a little longer to appreciate that amid the current hurt.

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Arne Slot has confirmed that Liverpool and Feyenoord are in negotiations over a deal that could see him succeed Jurgen Klopp at Anfield in the summer. The Dutchman wants the move and has spoken out about it to confirm as much.

"It's no secret that I want to go to Liverpool," he has said, via Fabrizio Romano, ahead of Feyenoord taking on Go Ahead Eagles in the Eredivisie. "The clubs are negotiating and I am waiting to see what will come out of it. We have to wait until an agreement is reached, but I have every confidence in that."

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk gave his approval of the potential appointment after his side was beaten by Everton. "I find it hard to answer of course, but I think Arne Slot is perhaps one of the better Dutch coaches at this moment," Van Dijk told Viaplay at Goodison Park.

READ MORE: Liverpool defender admits to uncertainty over future amid search for Jürgen Klopp successor

READ MORE: Arne Slot has said all the right things to prove exactly why he's perfect next Liverpool manager

"I think the way of playing and the philosophy he has, that he could be a Liverpool coach. Only I think from what I read and hear is that it's still far from being completed. We shall see."

Liverpool has been impressed by Slot's work. He won the league title last year with Feyenoord and won the Dutch cup this season. He has a superb track record of developing players and making the most of his resources.

While PSV has overtaken Feyenoord in the Eredivisie standings this year and is set to confirm itself as league champion, Slot has undoubtedly got his side overperforming. If he does take over at Liverpool, he will become the 22nd man to be in full-time charge of the Reds and only the fourth from outside the UK.

Liverpool.com says: It certainly looks like it is going to happen. If Slot has been confident enough to talk about it like this then clearly there is something in it and it sounds like a deal might be close to being agreed. Given the public nature of the statement given by the 45-year-old, things might develop quickly.

Liverpool fans still have four matches left of the Klopp era to try and enjoy, despite the Premier League title being out of reach after the disappointing defeat to Everton. His final games are against West Ham United, Spurs, Aston Villa and Wolves.

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Liverpool is advancing with a move to bring Arne Slot to the club to take over from Jürgen Klopp. The Reds have identified the 45-year-old Eredivisie winner as someone who ticks a lot of boxes in their search.

And Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has given his approval if the appointment takes place. "I find it hard to answer of course, but I think Arne Slot is perhaps one of the better Dutch coaches at this moment," Van Dijk told Viaplay following his side's 2-0 defeat at Goodison Park against Everton on Wednesday.

"I think the way of playing and the philosophy he has, that he could be a Liverpool coach. Only I think from what I read and hear is that it's still far from being completed. We shall see."

READ MORE: 'No secret' - Arne Slot confirms Liverpool negotiations and outlines what he wants to happen

READ MORE: Arne Slot has said all the right things to prove exactly why he's perfect next Liverpool manager

According to the Daily Mail, Liverpool could complete a move for Slot as early as this weekend with talks developing quickly. There is no release clause in the Feyenoord head coach's contract after he signed a new deal last summer amid interest in him from Tottenham and he is expected to cost more than $12.5m (£10.0m/€11.6m) .

Liverpool admires the work that Slot has done at Feyenoord, where he won the league last season and last weekend added the Dutch cup to his collection. Getting the best out of his resources and playing in a similar style to Klopp are also big ticks in the boxes of Slot, who has previously admitted that he wants to work in the Premier League.

Liverpool.com says: Slot appears to be a logical choice for Liverpool. The more you learn about him, the more you can see why he appeals to Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes.

There is only really the question about whether he can deal with the step up to managing Liverpool compared to being in the Netherlands but that is something that can only be discovered by giving him a go. That would have been the same with the step up for Xabi Alonso from Bayer Leverkusen or Rúben Amorim from Sporting CP.

By all accounts, he has a positive personality and those with knowledge of how he is at Feyenoord paint a picture of someone who has a very good relationship with the fans. That is an absolute must for the Reds for whoever takes over from Klopp.

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Liverpool suffered a damaging defeat in the Premier League on Wednesday evening, as Merseyside rivals Everton secured a 2-0 win at Goodison Park. The Reds remain in second in the table but are three points off Arsenal with four games to go.

Jürgen Klopp admits his side need Arsenal and Manchester City to suffer a crisis in the final weeks of the season to stand any chance of winning the title. Pep Guardiola's side has two games in hand, starting with the trip to Brentford on Thursday night.

Liverpool had hopes of an unprecedented quadruple but it has been a difficult month for the Reds, who now have just four matches remaining of the Klopp era. Next up is a trip to West Ham and the players must dust themselves down and end the season on a high.

READ MORE: Liverpool defensive issues broken down as seven players could do more to stop Everton opener

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Off the pitch, Liverpool is working towards appointing Klopp's successor. Arne Slot has emerged as the new leading candidate to replace the German and BBC Sport reports talks are underway with his current club Feyenoord.

Here, Liverpool.com takes a scan around the Premier League and across the continent to see what's going on at Liverpool's rivals after the loss to the Toffees.

Manchester United could part with as many as 12 first-team players this summer, according to The Mirror. New minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe wants a mass overhaul of the squad and will also look to bring in six fresh faces within the transfer window.

Ratcliffe has made his intentions clear that change is needed is needed this summer after scraping by Coventry City on penalties to reach the FA Cup final. United also looks set to miss out on the top four.

Liverpool's home shirt for the 2023/2024 campaign pays homage to Bill Shankly and the legendary Reds manager's final season in charge at Anfield. The Nike shirt features a bright red design with a bold white contrast on the colour and cuffs.

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Financial Fair Play (FFP) will limit spending, meaning player sales will be needed to fund any future incomings. Newly-appointed technical director Jason Wilcox will lead the review, which could see first-team stars such as Harry Maguire, Raphaël Varane, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Victor Lindelof all leave.

Meanwhile, Casemiro, Jadon Sancho, Christian Eriksen, Antony and even home-grown talent Marcus Rashford could be sold. Sofyan Amrabat's loan deal will also not be renewed.

Liverpool.com says: While it seems dramatic, an overhaul is certainly needed at Old Trafford. United's season has been a disaster and major changes are needed. It remains to be seen if Erik ten Hag will remain in charge past this season. Improvements are needed to close the gap on Liverpool, Arsenal and City.

Newcastle United is leading the race for Sporting Club de Portugal defender Ousmane Diomande, according to A Bola. Liverpool had previously been linked with the player (via Football Insider), although it is the Magpies reportedly currently in the driving seat to secure the deal.

The 20-year-old reportedly has a release clause of $85million (€80m/£68m) in his current contract, which Eddie Howe's side would look to negotiate. Diomande has not been as prominent in the Sporting CP side since his return from the Africa Cup of Nations with Ivory Coast and that could now open the door to a transfer exit this summer.

Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Juventus are all said to be keeping tabs on Diomande. He is contracted until 2027 and is one of the lowest earners at the club, with the Portuguese giants in no rush to sell him.

Liverpool.com says: Liverpool had previously been linked with the player but that may well have been down to speculation that his manager Rúben Amorim could move to Anfield. At least one central defender will be needed this summer and Diomande would be a great addition, albeit an expensive one.

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Liverpool saw its Premier League title hopes take a hammer blow as it was beaten 2-0 by Merseyside rivals Everton at Goodison Park. The Reds now sit three points behind Arsenal with four games to go, with the leaders having a far superior goal difference.

Jürgen Klopp's side did have chances but were again wasteful in front of goal and failed to deal with Everton's attacking threat from set-pieces as Jarrad Branthwaite and Dominic Calvert-Lewin found the net.

Speaking after the match, Klopp admitted that Liverpool needs Arsenal, and third-placed Manchester City, to suffer a crisis in the final weeks of the season to stand any chance of ending the campaign as champions.

READ MORE: Gary Neville hits nail on head over Liverpool avoiding same problem as Man Utd and Arsenal

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Klopp told Sky Sports: "I can only apologize for today, to the people and everybody who is with us knows how hard it is for us as well. We should have done better but we didn’t and that is why we lost.

Liverpool returns to action against West Ham on Saturday lunchtime and Klopp will be after an improvement from his players. He will be particularly unimpressed with Everton's opener in the first half, with a number of his players not covering themselves in glory.

Free-kick given away

Liverpool struggled to handle Everton's intensity in the first 30 minutes at Goodison Park and continued to give free-kicks away inside its own half. Curtis Jones was culpable this time for a foul on Idrissa Gueye and Everton made the Reds pay.

Jamie Carragher was particularly critical of Liverpool's naivety on Sky Sports, saying: "Liverpool was giving silly, stupid fouls away. That is not using your brain.

"That gave Everton the opportunity to put the ball in the box and it is as good as anyone in the country at set-pieces. When you come to Goodison as a Liverpool player, there are two or three rules you always do. You don’t give silly fouls away and get the crowd up and you move the ball on quickly."

Van Dijk and Szoboszlai caught out by set-piece

Everton's tactic was clear throughout Wednesday's derby as it put a 'blocker' on Virgil van Dijk, stopping the Liverpool captain from winning the ball in the air. Ben Godfrey was often the man given the task and pulled it off again for Dominic Calvert-Lewin's second goal.

This time, Van Dijk was given a slight nudge from James Tarkowski as he mistimed his jump, allowing Jarrad Branthwaite to make initial contact with the free-kick and head towards goal. Branthwaite was also easily able to get in front of Dominik Szoboszlai, who didn't do anywhere near enough to stop his run.

Carragher added: "Everton did a job on Van Dijk, saying 'if we block him, we are going to get some joy against the other players'. Everton kept it alive but it had been coming. You have to got to win your headers on set-pieces. Everton looked like scoring off every set piece and Liverpool wasn't aggressive enough in dealing with it."

Alexander-Arnold misses header

Trent Alexander-Arnold remains one of the most impressive passers of the ball in Europe. He showed his undoubted talents again at Goodison Park but didn't do enough defensively to stop the Everton opener.

The Liverpool full-back attempted to clear the ball on the edge of the box but completely mistimed his jump, seemingly awaiting contact from Vitaliy Mykolenko. It never came as Everton pumped the ball back in to keep the attack alive.

Konaté and Mac Allister make a hash of clearance

It was a comedy of errors after that as Jack Harrison teed up Ben Godfrey before his initial attempt was blocked. The ball the rebounded back off Jones towards Mac Allister, who lined up to clear his lines.

But under no pressure at all, Konaté stuck his left leg out and directed the ball into the path of Branthwaite. Ex-Reds defender Carragher was not impressed with the Frenchman's role in the goal, although it appeared there was no communication from Mac Allister.

He added: "What is he doing? He doesn't know where he is and sticks a leg out at it. He has been so poor of late. Liverpool needs to buy a centre-back in the summer."

Alisson can't keep out effort

The Liverpool goalkeeper will certainly not be blamed for the Everton opener but he may look back and think he could have done more. Branthwaite had the goal gaping but fired his shot straight at Alisson.

The Brazilian did manage to make good contact with the save but was diving across to his right, and the ball squirmed underneath him. Calvert-Lewin made sure but replays showed the ball had crossed the line.

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Gary Neville has tipped Liverpool to avoid making the same mistakes as Manchester United and Arsenal with its next manager appointment. The Premier League rivals both suffered slumps after the departures of stalwarts Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger.

Liverpool faces a similar situation this summer with Jürgen Klopp bringing the curtain down on his Anfield tenure. But Neville believes the Reds are in a better position to that of his former club and Arsenal, when they made huge managerial changes.

Xabi Alonso was the early favorite for the job but opted to remain with Bayer Leverkusen, before Sporting CP's Rúben Amorim appeared to be next in line. But Arne Slot is the new clear frontrunner and the Daily Mail reports talks are progressing between Liverpool and Feyenoord.

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Speaking on Sky Sports, Neville commented on the Reds' search for a new boss, after Slot emerged as a leading candidate. Neville said: "He's a successful coach in Holland and I love Dutch coaches. Across history, they have some of the greatest coaches the game has ever produced.

"We don't know how it's going to go but the reality is we've seen the post Wenger at Arsenal has been difficult and the post Sir Alex Ferguson career at Manchester United has been difficult. Klopp is massive in Liverpool. They've got to try and get it right.

"What United and Arsenal had when they replaced those managers was quite a traditional, old-school approach where the manager ran the club. They didn't have the sporting director and recruitment. Liverpool have a better set-up, more depth and more modern structure. There is still an element of risk but it has to happen."

David Moyes and Unai Emery struggled at United and Arsenal respectively after replacing iconic managers. The pair have since proven themselves in the Premier League and elsewhere. Neville admits a different approach will be inevitable at Anfield.

He added: "Obviously there's a change going to Liverpool. Very different approach than Jürgen Klopp. I don't think they could ever appoint a manager that has the personality and character of Klopp. It's driven by Michael Edwards, he's got his way and now he's bringing in someone who he thinks going to take Liverpool forward."

Liverpool.com says: Neville is correct in his thinking. Liverpool put the the correct structure in place before it focused on the managerial hunt. With Edwards rejoining FSG and Richard Hughes appointed as sporting director, Liverpool has elite footballing brains making key decisions. They will hope to get this one right.

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