Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is set for a number of changes to his coaching team this summer.
Earlier this week, Manchester City confirmed that assistant coaches Juanma Lillo and Inigo Dominguez will leave the club when their contracts expire in June.
Meanwhile, Carlos Vicens has already left the Etihad Stadium to become the head coach of Portuguese top-flight outfit Braga.
Now, Fabrizio Romano has provided a development on City’s coaching situation, with Pep Lijnders now set to join the team and another coach potentially set to follow.
Photo by Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images
Photo by Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images
Pep Lijnders set for Manchester City coaching role with Kolo Toure potentially next in line
Earlier this week, Romano reported that Lijnders and Kolo Toure were both under consideration to join City as Guardiola’s coaches.
Now, Romano has claimed that Lijnders is set to join Guardiola’s coaching setup – and Toure “could be next”, added the transfer insider.
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🚨🔵 Pep Lijnders, set to become part of Manchester City staff as he will join Pep Guardiola’s team.
Exclusive story confirmed… and Kolo Touré could be next. 👀 pic.twitter.com/Of2aV8uzMd
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 30, 2025
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READ MORE: Manchester City reach agreement with player who’s a ‘wizard with the ball’ after talks with Pep Guardiola
Who are Pep Lijnders and Kolo Toure?
As far as coaches go, Lijnders was one of the best-known in the Premier League when he was at Liverpool.
He sometimes took press conferences in Klopp’s place – it wasn’t uncommon to see him step in for his manager before Carabao Cup games.
Lijnders took in two spells at Liverpool between 2014 and 2024, either side of a short stint managing NEC in the Dutch second tier.
In his second spell, Lijnders helped Liverpool win their sixth Champions League, along with their first Premier League-era title and the Club World Cup.
“The most influential guy in the last years definitely in this club was Pep Lijnders,” Klopp previously said of Lijnders.
“The job he did is absolutely exceptional. The inspiration he is for me is absolutely exceptional.
“The relationship we grew is absolutely exceptional. Outstanding, everything.”
Meanwhile, Toure is currently one of City’s academy coaches, having returned to the club in 2024 just over a decade after leaving as a player.
Toure made 82 appearances for City between 2009 and 2013, and played a big part in their trophy-winning campaigns of 2010/11 and 2011/12.
The 44-year-old also played for Arsenal and Liverpool, and he was a coach with Ivory Coast, Celtic, and Leicester City.
Toure also had a short spell as manager of Wigan Athletic between November 2022 and January 2023.