Arne Slot wants to reunite with his former assistant coach at Liverpool, with Dutch reports suggesting Etienne Reijnen “may be on the verge” of a move to Anfield.
Upon Slot’s move to Liverpool from Feyenoord, he brought assistant manager Sipke Hulshoff and head of performance Ruben Peeters with him as part of his backroom staff.
Reijnen, analyst and technical advisor, was also to be part of the package to help lead the set-piece coaching, but his move fell through due to work permit issues, seeing him stay at Feyenoord.
And although Slot’s future is under the microscope, Feyenoord source 1908.nl has relayed news from Dutch journalist Valentijn Driessen that Liverpool’s head coach wants to bring Reijnen to Merseyside.
Their headline reads: ‘Liverpool beckons for Feyenoord assistant Reijnen after completing coaching course’.
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Slot wants to do this “as soon as” Reijnen completes his further coaching qualifications, which should be enough to get the green light to work in England.
It is stated that “as soon as that process (coaching qualifications) is finished, a transfer to Liverpool could be set in motion quickly,” as Slot looks for further Dutch reinforcements.
It implies that Slot’s future remains at Anfield, as reports in England have continually stated, despite outlets in Germany and Spain strongly linking Liverpool to the available Xabi Alonso.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Tuesday, March 17, 2026: Liverpool's head coach Arne Slot (R) and assistant coach Giovanni van Bronckhorst during a training session at the AXA Training Centre ahead of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 2nd Leg match between Liverpool FC and Galatasaray A.?. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
The arrival of Reijnen would leave a vacancy at Feyenoord, a club which Slot’s current assistant Giovanni van Bronckhorst is already being linked to after only a year on Merseyside.
If a ‘swap’ was to occur, it would see both clubs address their needs, as Liverpool have been without a designated set-piece coach since Aaron Briggs left late last year.
Lewis Mahoney has led the analysis following his summer arrival, but the responsibility has since been shared among Slot’s backroom staff, leading to improved results in attack and defence.
Who is Etienne Reijnen?
Reijnen, 39, is a former centre-back who played alongside Slot at PEC Zwolle before joining his staff in Rotterdam in late 2023.
His focus was on analysing and providing technical advice to Slot, but after the switch to Liverpool, Reijnen stayed on at Feyenoord to work under manager Robin van Persie.
His role as an assistant sees him oversee set-pieces, and the Dutch outfit have scored 11 goals from set-pieces this season, and conceded only four.
Liverpool, conversely, have scored 15 but conceded 16 across 2025/26.
Speaking to Algemeen Dagblad at the end of 2024, the Liverpool head coach highlighted the role of his former colleague.
“Etienne Reijnen is still at Feyenoord and I recently read that Brian Priske (Slot’s successor) was full of praise for him,” Slot said.
“The set-pieces are a strength at Feyenoord and Reijnen still takes care of them.”
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