Virgil van Dijk responds to Arne Slot Liverpool talks as team meeting held after 'unacceptable' Everton loss

Virgil van Dijk has given his backing for Arne Slot to succeed Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool manager.

Reds bosses opened negotiations with Feyenoord on Wednesday as they ramp up efforts to appoint a successor to the German, who confirmed in January that he would leave the club at the end of the season.

Slot has become strongly fancied by the Anfield hierarchy, and while he is not the only candidate, Liverpool have now made their move for the Dutchman.

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And speaking after the Reds’ Merseyside derby defeat to Everton, Van Dijk was full of praise for his compatriot.

“I think Slot is one of the better Dutch coaches at the moment,” Van Dijk told ViaPlay. "With the way he plays and the philosophy he has, he can be a Liverpool coach.

“But I read and hear that it is far from complete. We shall see. We will focus on that next season, but that is still a long way off.”

Meanwhile, Van Dijk conceded that the manner of Liverpool’s defeat to Everton was unacceptable and that they don’t deserve to win the league following another disappointing display.

“Game likes these, the bare minimum is fight,” he said in the mixed zone. “We were lacking that at so many moments in games; small challenges, some passes that were not clear so we came into challenges that they win and they get momentum out of it.

“They were having I don't know how many set pieces. That could make a difference because it's a strength of theirs.

“But we have to look in the mirror and each and every one of us has to think like... listen, you can't accept this. You can't accept the way we