Journalist confirms Etienne Reijnen will join Arne Slot at Liverpool

Photo: IMAGO

Arne Slot staff could need further reshaping

The discussion did not stop with Reijnen. Davis also raised Giovanni van Bronckhorst, who has been linked with Feyenoord, and Johnny Heitinga, who has been “mentioned again” as a possible returnee to Slot’s Liverpool setup.

Lynch said that if “another spot opens up”, then Heitinga “would be in the mix then to come back.” He added that Heitinga “got his fingers burnt a little bit being at Tottenham for such a short period of time” and that his own attempt at management “didn’t go too great.”

That made the structure of the Liverpool backroom staff a fluid issue. Reijnen, in Lynch’s telling, looks like the one who is firmly expected to arrive. Heitinga depends on whether a vacancy opens, particularly if Van Bronckhorst leaves.

As Lynch put it: “A lot depends on what happens with Van Bronckhorst. If he does go, there’s going to be a vacancy there.”

Coaching change reflects wider Liverpool concerns

The importance of this conversation lies in where it sat within the podcast. Much of the debate between Dave Davis and David Lynch focused on Liverpool’s passive football, the Chelsea draw, the Anfield boos and whether Arne Slot can solve problems quickly enough.

Against that backdrop, a coaching staff change is not cosmetic. Lynch said Liverpool “already recognise they need another coach,” which suggests the club may also see the need for new voices or added support around Slot.

His conclusion was clear enough. “One coach coming in guaranteed if he sticks around,” Lynch said. He then added that “there’s a real possibility for two.”

For Liverpool, that makes Etienne Reijnen one of the more significant names in the summer conversation. While player recruitment will dominate headlines, Lynch’s comments on Anfield Index point towards a coaching adjustment that may be seen as essential if Arne Slot remains in charge.

The strongest takeaway from the exchange was simple. On Etienne Reijnen joining Liverpool, Lynch sounded convinced. On a wider Arne Slot coaching staff reshuffle, he saw it as almost certain.