The agent of former Liverpool striker Dirk Kuyt has definitively ruled out a return to Anfield for the Dutchman, who has been linked with the assistant coach vacancy under Arne Slot.
John Heitinga, who was on Slot's coaching staff last season, has moved to Ajax to replace Francesco Farioli, who was fired after his side let a nine-point lead slip in the Eredivisie title race in the final weeks of the campaign. But it won't be Kuyt who comes in and replaces him.
"No, it will be a different assistant coach," Kuyt's representative, Rob Jansen, told Sport Nieuws. "That would have been great for him. Liverpool’s assistant will be someone else."
Steven Gerrard is another former Liverpool player to have been speculatively put forward as an option for the Reds, but the search is ongoing for who could replace Heitinga.
"John is a good coach with enormous drive," Ajax technical director Alex Kroes said. "He is ambitious and has further developed himself over the past few years in the Premier League and Champions League.
"John knows the club well and we are convinced that he, together with Marcel, will help improve our players and build on the progress made since last summer."
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot and assistant coach John Heitinga
(Image: PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
Elsewhere, Jurgen Klopp's former assistant, Pep Lijnders, has joined Manchester City. The Dutch coach was at Red Bull Salzburg until December, when he was fired after a disappointing start to life in Austria.
James French, who also worked for Liverpool, has joined Manchester City alongside Lijnders. He will work as Pep Guardiola's set-piece coach as the Catalan looks to refresh things and catch up with the Reds again in 2025/26.
"We are all delighted that Pepijn and James have joined our senior coaching set-up," Manchester City sporting director Hugo Viana said. "Pepijn and James have each amassed huge experience working in their individual roles over the past few years.
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"Their talent, application, work ethic and all-round commitment are totally aligned with the values that underpin how Pep wants football to be played.
"I have no doubt at all that both will prove to be very important assets for Pep and his coaching team as we prepare for the Club World Cup and then the 2025/26 season."
Liverpool.com says: Seeing Lijnders in the Manchester City dugout will be very strange but he has taken the chance to work with another top coach in Guardiola, having been key under Slot.
As for replacing Heitinga, you would imagine that Liverpool will want to bring someone in before pre-season starts. That is scheduled for the second week of July, by which time the player and staff will have been on holiday and recuperated.