: Dutch legend Giovanni van Bronckhorst close to joining Liverpool coaching set up. Would replace John Heitinga on Arne Slot’s staff, @_pauljoyce

Liverpool set to appoint Giovanni van Bronckhorst as Arne Slot’s new assistant

Liverpool are “close” to appointing former Feyenoord and Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst as Arne Slot‘s new assistant coach.

With John Heitinga leaving the club to take the helm at Ajax, Slot had a vacancy to fill ahead of the 2025/26 season and has seemingly wasted little time in finding a replacement.

According to the Times‘ Paul Joyce and the Mail‘s Lewis Steele, former Netherlands international Van Bronckhorst is “close” to being appointed at Anfield.

The 50-year-old, who previously played for Barcelona and Arsenal, has managed at Feyenoord, Guangzhou, Rangers and most recently Besiktas.

He won the Eredivisie title in 2017 with Slot’s former club and led Rangers to the Europa League final in 2022, but has been out of a job since October after being sacked by Besiktas.



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Van Bronckhorst will now work alongside Slot, Sipke Hulshoff and Aaron Briggs as part of Liverpool’s backroom staff who have the enviable task of building on the club’s title success.

The former defender has an abundance of experience after more than 500 senior appearances at club and international level, in addition to a decade of coaching.

He is another who favours tactical flexibility and ought to fit seamlessly in the dugout with Slot, who will welcome a new voice and ideas from this summer onwards.

Liverpool had been anticipated to make a move for Marino Pusic, who recently left Shakhtar Donetsk having previously worked closely with Slot at Feyenoord.