Liverpool head coach Arne Slot is set to appoint Etienne Reijnen as a new assistant coach at Anfield, according to a report from Dutch journalist Valentijn Driessen in De Telegraaf. The move would pave the way for the departure of current assistant Giovanni van Bronckhorst, who is now being linked with a return to Feyenoord in a technical director role. The club is reportedly willing to facilitate Van Bronckhorst's early exit.
Reijnen, who currently works as an assistant to Robin van Persie at Feyenoord, was previously blocked from joining Slot at Liverpool in 2024 due to lacking the required coaching diplomas and a UK work permit. Driessen, speaking on the Dutch television program Vandaag Inside, stated that Reijnen is now set to obtain those qualifications, clearing the path for his long-awaited move. The coach is seen as a specialist who would bolster Liverpool's work on set pieces, an area Slot has been keen to strengthen.
The potential staffing change comes as Van Bronckhorst emerges as a candidate for the vacant technical director position at his former club Feyenoord. The Eredivisie side is seeking a replacement for Dennis te Kloese, who is departing for Mexican club CF Monterrey. Van Bronckhorst has served as an assistant under Slot since July 2025, having previously managed Feyenoord and Rangers.
Beyond the coaching staff, Driessen also indicated that Slot is likely to continue adding a Dutch contingent to the Liverpool squad in the upcoming transfer window. The journalist specifically named defender Lutsharel Geertruida as a primary target. Liverpool attempted to sign the 25-year-old from RB Leipzig in the January window, but a deal collapsed after his loan club, Sunderland, could not secure a replacement. Geertruida, who can play at right-back or centre-back, is expected to be pursued again this summer.
The growing Dutch influence at Anfield, where Virgil van Dijk, Cody Gakpo, Ryan Gravenberch, and Jeremie Frimpong are already key players, has drawn some commentary in the Netherlands. During the same television segment, Driessen questioned the focus on Dutch talent, while pundit Johan Derksen compared the trend to Jordi Cruijff's preference for Spanish players during his tenure at Ajax.
Slot's planned adjustments to his backroom team mark his first significant steps in shaping the club's structure ahead of his second season in charge. The potential arrival of Reijnen and the pursuit of Geertruida signal a clear intent to build upon the foundations laid in his debut campaign, with a continued emphasis on personnel familiar with his methods and the Dutch footballing philosophy.
