Etiënne Reijnen on Reds’ radar in Arne Slot boost

Liverpool manager Arne Slot reacts on the touchline.

Liverpool are closing in on the appointment of Etiënne Reijnen to their coaching staff, a move that would underline the club’s continued support for Arne Slot.

Slot’s position remains under intense scrutiny with Liverpool yet to seal Champions League qualification, the Anfield crowd turning on the style of play in the last home game and several members of the first-team squad liking Mohamed Salah’s critical social media post last Saturday. 

The club, however, are backing Slot’s request to strengthen his backroom team this summer and are working on a deal for the Feyenoord assistant manager Reijnen.

Reijnen played with Slot at PEC Zwolle and became the Liverpool head coach’s assistant at Feyenoord in 2023. Slot wanted to bring the 39-year-old with him when he was first appointed at Anfield but work permit issues scuppered the move.

A deal to reunite Slot with his former assistant has not been completed but is progressing. Feyenoord’s technical director, Dennis te Kloese, seemingly confirmed Reijnen’s exit this week when saying: “Reijnen is simply a very talented young coach. He doesn’t just go abroad to work for no reason.” 

Slot refused to confirm the move on Friday. 

“As long as things are not done, then I will not be commenting on who we are signing or who we don’t,” he said. 

But he added: “It is fair to say that I have worked with him before and I have a very high regard for him in terms of the coach he is. It is also clear that I tried to sign him two years ago when I first came here but we couldn’t do it.”

The Liverpool head coach would also not be drawn on Salah’s latest attempt to undermine him or whether the Egypt international will be involved in Sunday’s finale against Brentford, when both the forward and Andy Robertson will say farewell to Anfield. 

But he agreed with Salah on the importance of Champions League qualification and insisted Liverpool’s focus must be on securing a top-five finish before turning to the send-offs.

“If you were to ask these two players – and I think it was also one of the things Mo said in his post – that he also understands how important qualification for the Champions League is for us.

“If we want to have an even more solid base than the one we have built this season, going into next season, then Champions League football is vital for that. It will give it an even more solid base than without Champions League football.”

Guardian