Arne Slot has received very clear message from Liverpool's No.1 target to replace him

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Things have changed all too quickly for Arne Slot at Liverpool, but his managerial peers know a talent when they see one. And the Reds' purported top pick to replace Slot, should he leave, has already apprised the Anfield incumbent.

Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique has been touted as Liverpool's first choice to succeed Slot in the event they fire him. The Sun reported Reds executives are increasingly concerned Liverpool's dressing room is already turning against Slot, and Enrique is allegedly being eyed to take over.

It was only back in March that the two managers came head-to-head in the last 16 of the Champions League. And the result made Fenway Sports Group (FSG) take special notice of the Spaniard, who was highly complimentary of his Anfield counterpart at the time.

"It's difficult to imagine a better match-up on paper, between two dominant teams, with two slightly different ways of playing but teams with dominant styles," he told reporters ahead of their first-leg clash. " Liverpool have been one of the best teams in Europe over the past few years; they won the Champions League [in 2019].

"It was difficult to improve on what Klopp did, but Arne Slot has succeeded in creating an almost perfect team. There's a player like [Mohamed] Salah with incredible stats, but there's not just Salah, there are lots of top-class players, it's a very complete team. That motivates us, and it's time for us to also show we've got what it takes."

Enrique may not take the same view of Slot's squad if he were to assess them today. The Reds have lost nine of their last 12 games in all competitions, most recently suffering a 4-1 defeat in the Champions League at home to PSV on Wednesday.

A Premier League title defence already looks off the cards, with the team sitting 12th in the standings. However, Enrique didn't stop there in his admiration of the squad that continued to thrive during Slot's first season on Merseyside.

"They have one of the best attacks in Europe," he added. "We're going to look to keep the ball, but we'll need to be careful with their counter-attacks; they've got three fighter jets up front."

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Salah's drop in form has been credited as one of the factors behind Liverpool's slump. However, it's ultimately Slot who will cop the blame for their downward slide so far this season.

As for Enrique, it's questionable whether the ex-Barcelona boss is a realistic target. Having led PSG to a historic treble last season, Les Parisiens will undoubtedly do everything in their power to ensure he sees out his contract, which runs until the summer of 2027.

Despite getting the better of Liverpool over two legs last term, Enrique may be as puzzled as anyone else when it comes to Slot's fall from grace.

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