How much it might cost FSG to sack Arne Slot as £80m Liverpool dilemma explained

Liverpool fans are growing impatient with Arne Slot amid a run of just two wins from seven at Anfield.

The anger towards Slot returned in full force this week after the Reds were held to a 1-1 draw by Sunderland.

Jamie Carragher is really worried about Liverpool, who recently matched an unwanted run of form not seen since they were relegated from Division 1 in 1953/54.

The state of the world last time Liverpool had no European football

Liverpool last missed out on any form of European football in the 2016/17 season.

• Donald Trump became president for the first time in November 2016
• The UK voted to leave the EU by 52% to 48% in June 2016.
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Liverpool now face Leeds United in a Premier League meeting on Saturday, and defeat in that fixture is expected to pile more pressure on the Dutchman.

FSG can easily afford to sack Arne Slot

With Slot showing no signs of being able to stop the rot at Anfield, FSG may have a decision to make on his future in the coming weeks or months.

Now, Rousing The Kop have spoken to finance expert Adam Williams to get an insight into how much it would cost Liverpool to dismiss the Dutchman.

He said: “Slot signed a three-year deal, so he’s contracted to the club until the end of 2026-27. There are some reports suggesting that he earns £6-7m annually, but they aren’t reliable. The sites that specialise in wage data almost always get it very, very wrong. A cursory look at the official club accounts is enough to prove that.

“I’d personally be surprised if his overall package wasn’t closer to £10m. If it was just £6-7m, he’d be on the equivalent of one of the worst-paid players in Liverpool’s squad’s salary. That kind of wage structure doesn’t make sense.

“The conventional wisdom is that, in order to sack a manager, you have to pay out the remainder of their contract. On that basis, you’d be looking at £15m or thereabouts to give Slot the boot. However, the reality is usually a lot more nuanced than that. There will likely be provisions in his contract that protect the club if, for example, if they are drastically underperforming on the pitch. There might also be a pre-agreed termination clause. These factors can work in the manager’s favour or the club’s – there’s no way of knowing for sure without having the contract in front of us.

“But either way, the cost of sacking Slot, or indeed appointing a new manager, won’t be a consideration for FSG. They have invested a lot in him and his plans and, fundamentally, it will be a football decision, albeit one rooted in the eventual return on investment FSG are eventually destined to get at Liverpool.

“Let’s say the cost is £15m… That is the amount that you get in prize money for finishing roughly five places higher in the Premier League. Even if you finish one or two places higher than you would have done otherwise but make it into the Champions League as a result, that’s about £80m in extra revenue virtually guaranteed.

“FSG certainly aren’t going to make any knee-jerk decisions; it’s not their style. But the short-term hit they would take financially isn’t going to move the needle in terms of their final verdict on the manager.”