Liverpool head coach Arne Slot is reportedly “very keen” on bringing John Heitinga back into his coaching team at Anfield, in a big new claim.
Slot remains under big pressure to keep his job, even though he played down the potential of missing out on Champions League football after last weekend’s 3-2 loss away to Manchester United:
“I wouldn’t say concerned is the right word, but I’m completely aware of the fact that we need three points. That’s why I was so annoyed that we didn’t pick them up today. Although we didn’t deserve to get these points in the first half, that’s completely clear.
“But if you are 2-2 coming back after [being] 2-0 down, then you should at least go away here with a result, which we didn’t do. We knew before the game we had four chances to pick up three points to qualify for the Champions League. Now there are three chances left.”
As things stand, it looks as though Slot will remain in charge of Liverpool past the summer, and according to Soccer News journalist Mounir Boualin [via Sport Witness], he wants former assistant Heitinga to return to the club:
“I understand that Slot is very keen to have John Heitinga back. However, Van Bronckhorst has to leave first; he is being mentioned in the corridors in connection with Feyenoord. There is something going on there as well.”
“Should Van Bronckhorst go to Feyenoord, then according to Slot, Liverpool must go all out for Heitinga. He has already indicated this internally.”
Can a John Heitinga return help Liverpool return to form?
Heitinga was a part of Liverpool’s coaching setup that won the Premier League title last season, prior to taking the manager’s job at Ajax, before being sacked and taking a coaching role at Tottenham, which only lasted a month.
Slot clearly enjoyed working with his compatriot, so there is a lot of sense in the pair working together again, with the Reds boss initially wanting him to stay before heading to Ajax.
The fact that Heitinga is currently out of work could only make his decision simpler, and him returning could hopefully coincide with Liverpool getting over this season’s slump.
Slot needs as many reliable deputies with him as possible, assuming he does stay into the 2026/27 campaign, and there are few negatives to a Heitinga reunion.