Arne Slot declines Newcastle position in Saudi Arabia

Arne Slot rejected the opportunity to replace the incoming Newcastle boss in Saudi Arabia as he sought a top European job following his dismissal from Liverpool. The Dutch manager left Liverpool at the end of the previous season and received an approach from Al Ahli to take over from Matthias Jaissle, who is expected to join Newcastle. Al Ahli, with their considerable financial resources, had identified Slot as a prime target. However, Slot expressed a preference to continue in European club football and will turn down Al Ahli’s official offer.

Speculation has been rife regarding the Netherlands national team position after Ronald Koeman's departure post-World Cup, but sources indicated that Slot is currently focused on club management, despite being flattered by the idea of managing his country in the future.

Slot was sacked by Liverpool at the end of May, just a year after steering the Reds to a Premier League title. His dismissal followed a disappointing season in which Liverpool finished fifth, suffering 20 losses in all competitions and facing mounting pressure from supporters. Notably, key players, including the departed Mohamed Salah, had voiced concerns regarding the team's playing style. The decision to terminate his contract came after a review of the troubled season, led by Richard Hughes and Michael Edwards, the chief executive of football at Fenway Sports Group, which owns Liverpool.

Before his stint at Liverpool, Slot had led Feyenoord to a successful season, clinching the Eredivisie title and the Dutch Cup while also finishing as runners-up in the Conference League. Meanwhile, Al Ahli is on the lookout for a new manager with Jaissle in line to take over at Newcastle following Eddie Howe's unexpected exit from St James' Park. Jaissle, 38, previously managed Red Bull Salzburg from 2021 to 2023 and has achieved notable success in Saudi Arabia, culminating in back-to-back Asian Champions League titles in 2025 and 2026. The anticipation is that Jaissle will indeed become Newcastle's next manager, with his contract currently under legal review. He is expected to oversee the team when they head to La Manga this coming weekend.