David Hancko has revealed that he has spoken with Arne Slot but is unlikely to join the Dutchman at Liverpool.
David Hancko has acknowledged that a reunion with Arne Slot at Liverpool is unlikely, indicating that the Reds are not pursuing a new defender.
Slot previously brought the Slovakian to Feyenoord from Sparta Prague in a €6 million deal in August 2022. Hancko, who has made 93 appearances for Feyenoord, scored 11 goals, and won both the Eredivisie title and KNVB Cup with the club, is now 26 years old.
Despite being a boyhood Liverpool fan and frequently linked with a move to Anfield, even before Slot’s appointment as Jurgen Klopp’s successor, Hancko seems set for a different path.
His agent, Branislav Jasurek, confirmed that there had been contact with Liverpool earlier this year. However, Jasurek now reveals that the centre-back is most likely to join Atletico Madrid.
After Slovakia’s elimination from Euro 2024 by England on Sunday, Hancko has addressed his future. He disclosed that he has had discussions with his former manager, Slot, but indicated that Liverpool is not seeking a center-back this summer.
“I think that in three years he will be named as one of the best coaches in the world,” Hancko told Voetbal International. “I can see that happening, because I know what he did with us and now he has the biggest platform to show that.
“I have a lot of confidence in him and his staff. And I don’t express that appreciation because I hope that I will go with him to Liverpool, because that is unlikely.
“I have spoken to him a few times after the end of the season, but I don’t think they are looking for a player in my position, so I don’t think a transfer to Liverpool will happen. But I wish him the best of luck, he really is a fantastic coach.”
Meanwhile, Hancko provided insight into what Liverpool’s first-team squad can expect from Slot as their new head coach.
“In the last two years he changed my career, in the way he taught me to play and how I look at football,” he said. “He impressed me in training, in meetings and with his systems. Thanks to him I have grown in several aspects as a footballer.
“You always really look forward to training with him. His playing style and also the videos he shows in team meetings are all so professional. He always shows you what you specifically have to do when the opponent puts pressure in a certain way.
“And we trained on that for a week. Then he would say, for example: If they put pressure in this way, we have to find an extra player in this position. He indicated exactly where we had to stand in all kinds of situations.
“He is so special with these things. He has given me a lot of insights, I notice it now with the national team or when I watch matches on TV, that I recognize what teams do, what the defensive team has to do and what the opponent has to do to build up well. This is what he taught me.”
Liverpool are interested in signing Leny Yoro from Lille. However, the 18-year-old centre-back is considered separate from the club’s primary transfer plans. While monitoring Yoro’s situation, there is an expectation that he will join Real Madrid, with Liverpool ready to step in only if that move falls through.
Despite being linked with numerous other centre-backs this summer, Liverpool are reportedly prioritizing reinforcing other positions at the moment.
This approach has surprised some fans, especially after Joel Matip’s departure at the end of his contract, but Hancko’s transfer comments appear to reinforce the club’s current stance.
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