Liverpool are finally ready to properly enter the Arne Slot era.
Until now, there has still been the shadow of Jurgen Klopp’s exit hanging over the club, that won’t be easy to get rid of.
But after Klopp completed his last scheduled duties at Liverpool on Tuesday, the coast is now clear for Slot to begin work at Anfield.
As his contract officially starts on Saturday, it’s likely that we’ll see the Dutchman at the AXA Training Centre over the next few days.
Whether his coaching staff join him is a little more murky. Things are still seemingly being finalised on exactly who will be part of the backroom team. And as Slot looks to get the Feyenoord gang back together, he may have just been given a bit of a blow.
Etienne Reijnen Liverpool move could be blocked
Things have gone slightly quiet on who we can expect to see as part of Slot’s new backroom team.
It’s already been heavily reported that the 45-year-old’s assistant at Feyenoord – Sipke Hulshoff – will be the man to replace Pep Lijnders.
It had also previously been claimed that fellow coaches at the Rotterdam club Ruben Peeters and Etienne Reijnen would be joining, too.
Peeters’ addition looks to be a done deal, with his agency confirming on Instagram this week that he’s set to move to Merseyside. For Reijnen though, things are not quite so straightforward.
Dutch outlet AD have claimed that the 37-year-old does not yet have the necessary coaching qualifications to sit in the dugout with Slot.
As a result, instead of being given a coaching title, Reijnen was named as a ‘analyst and technical advisor’ and forced to watch games from the stands.
This could reportedly be a problem in the event of Slot taking him to Liverpool. Reijnen – who is described as a ‘talented coach’ is said to be yet to obtain a British work permit. Without the right qualifications, this is seemingly not a formality, despite Slot being keen to take him.
Is anyone staying at Liverpool?
This is an often overlooked problem of getting a new manager onboard at a club.
It’s often the case – especially when a boss has been there as long as Klopp was – that his coaching team will decide to move on with him.
With Liverpool losing at least seven members of the backroom team, Slot is arguably already at a disadvantage. It isn’t ideal.
Of course, he could simply transport his whole staff at Feyenoord with him to Liverpool. But the Dutch side have reportedly blocked their former head coach from raiding too many of their staff.
As a result, Slot is going to have to rely on those left behind at the AXA. There won’t be too many unfortunately, but goalkeeping coach Claudio Taffarel is at least one that we know of.
There will be others, too. But it will be a shame if the new boss can’t get the team he wants in place.