Arne Slot’s backroom team at Liverpool is taking shape, although the Reds’ new head coach has been dealt a blow in terms of one prospective appointment.
As reported by Dutch outlet Leeuwarder Courant, LFC have secured a deal to bring Sipke Hulshoff to Anfield as the 45-year-old’s assistant, reprising the partnership that they had at Feyenoord after the former stepped aside from his coaching role with Netherlands in recent weeks.
However, they won’t be joined on Merseyside by Etienne Reijnen, another staff member from De Kuip who was sought by Slot but has now conceded that a move to L4 won’t happen due to work permit issues (David Lynch).
With many of Jurgen Klopp’s backroom staff leaving Liverpool in tandem with the German, there was always likely to be a significant changing of the guard behind the scenes at Anfield this summer.
It’ll no doubt be a huge boost for Slot to be swiftly reunited with Hulshoff, his trusted right-hand man with whom he enjoyed plenty of success at Feyenoord; and who’s been hailed as ‘tactically very strong‘ by René Hake, under whom he worked as an assistant coach at SC Cambuur a few years ago.
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However, despite that significant coup, the setback over Reijnen highlights the ongoing need for a few other important backroom positions to be filled for the Reds.
Liverpool are on the lookout for goalkeeping and set piece coaches, and they’ll also need to search elsewhere for an analyst and technical advisor after the 37-year-old’s aforementioned work permit issues.
Plenty of work still to be done this summer, then, but the imminent arrival of Hulshoff has at least tied down one key role behind the scenes and will ensure continuity in terms of his partnership with Slot.
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