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Ex-Arsenal ace Giovanni van Bronckhorst is reportedly in advanced talks to join Liverpool as head coach Arne Slot's first-team assistant coach.
According to talkSPORT, Van Bronckhorst has been earmarked as an apt replacement for John Heitinga, who left the Reds to become Ajax's head coach last month. He is believed to be on the brink of signing a contract with the Merseyside outfit.
Van Bronckhorst, who turned 50 earlier this February, started his playing career at Feyenoord in 1993. He went on to represent teams like Rangers, Arsenal, and Barcelona later on. The versatile midfielder also captained Netherlands to the 2010 FIFA World Cup final.
The Liverpool-linked coach, who was nominated for the 2010 FIFA Puskas Award, helped Arsenal win one Premier League title and two FA Cups. He also guided the Blaugrana to two La Liga titles and one UEFA Champions League trophy as a player.
So far, Van Bronckhorst has managed Feyenoord, Rangers, and Besiktas. He helped Feyenoord win five trophies, including one Eredivisie title, as a coach. He also led Rangers to one Scottish Cup and helped them reach the UEFA Europa League final in 2022.
Ex-Liverpool star urges star to not join Arsenal
Speaking recently to betting outlet Prime Casino, former Liverpool striker Emile Heskey claimed that Morgan Rogers should stay put at Aston Villa this summer. He said (h/t Metro):
"I think he needs to be really careful. He's a huge asset for Aston Villa and right now, he's a fantastic player. But he's got to choose wisely. If I was him, I would stay at Villa, establish myself and play more football. Because if you go to a theoretically bigger club and you don't play football, you're wasting your talent."
Opining on the Chelsea and Arsenal-linked midfielder, Heskey added:
"He's got to play. I love the way that he plays. He plays with enthusiasm, he plays with freedom and he's a very good player. So, I would suggest he stays at Aston Villa for another season at least."
Rogers, 22, has popped up as one of the most exciting midfielders in the Premier League over the last year or so. He helped Aston Villa finish sixth and fourth in the 2024-25 and 2023-24 seasons respectively.
The former Manchester City youth player relished a breakout campaign last season. He netted 14 goals and laid out 15 assists in 54 outings in all competitions, including 53 starts, for Unai Emery's side last term.
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Debkalpa Banerjee
Debkalpa is a journalist who covers European football at Sportskeeda. He is a PGD holder from the Asian College of Journalism, has interviewed Emile Heskey and Jason McAteer, ideated a six-part IE feature series titled 'India's New Hopes', and tried to shine a light on mental health in football involving a Bengaluru FC initiative. He has strong journalism skills along with a good understanding of SEO. In his spare time, he stays up all night following Liverpool FC.
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Edited by Debkalpa Banerjee