Arne Slot has 'instructed' Liverpool to pay £51.4m release clause for midfielder 'as soon as possible'

Liverpool are expected to make some big moves on the transfer market this summer following the departure of Jurgen Klopp. Feyenoord’s Arne Slot is in line to take over the soon-to-be vacant manager position and he has reportedly already made some requests regarding a potential signing before his arrival.

According to Spanish outlet Nacional, RB Leipzig midfielder Dani Olmo is ‘top of Slot’s wish list’ and he has asked those at Liverpool to pay the €60 million (£51.4m) release clause before other competitor clubs swoop in. Olmo is also on the radar of Manchester City, who are just one win away from lifting their fourth consecutive Premier League trophy.

Liverpool have plenty of experience signing players from the Bundesliga and they have previously dealt with Leipzig too, having signed Naby Keïta, Ibrahima Konaté and Dominik Szoboszlai from The Red Bulls in recent years.

Olmo is an attacking midfielder by nature but can also play on either flank and has contributed eight goals and five assists this season. The Reds have been looking for a little extra midfield firepower despite their busy summer last year. As well as City and Liverpool showing interest in Olmo, Barcelona are also in pursuit of the 26-year-old so the Reds must be aware of the competition if they want to snap up their target.

This new chapter under Slot will see a number of changes to the backroom staff as the Dutchman is expected to bring over his current assistant at Feyenoord Sipke Hulshoff. With new sporting director Richard Hughes and Michael Edwards back in a new role, it could turn out to be an interesting window at Anfield.

As Liverpool monitor potential player candidates, the report from Nacional says Slot views Olmo as the ‘ideal candidate’ to improve Liverpool’s attack. The 45-year-old has asked the Liverpool board to ‘have no doubts’ in this pursuit and to ‘pay the figure as soon as possible’.