Feyenoord’s director appears to have confirmed Arne Slot‘s former assistant Etienne Reijnen will leave for a job abroad this summer, meaning a path to Liverpool is clear.
Last month it was reported that Liverpool ‘beckoned‘ for Reijnen after he completed the necessary coaching badges to obtain a UK work permit.
It was what denied his move to Merseyside when Arne Slot first joined the club, meaning only assistant Sipke Hulshoff and head of performance Ruben Peeters followed from Feyenoord.
Slot has since ‘confirmed‘ the club is on the lookout after parting with set-piece coach Aaron Briggs last year. Thus, his former assistant and teammate would serve as a trusted ally.
And Feyenoord’s outgoing technical director, Dennis te Kloese, appears to have confirmed Reijnen will leave for abroad, according to FR-Fans.NL and FC Rotterdam.
PARIS, FRANCE - Wednesday, April 8, 2026: Liverpool's head coach Arne Slot and first assistant coach Sipke Hulshoff (R) during the UEFA Champions League Quarter-Final 1st Leg match between Paris Saint-Germain FC and Liverpool FC at the Parc des Princes. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
“Etienne is very talented,” Kloese said. “That is also clear, because he doesn’t just go abroad to work for no reason.”
Reijnen acted as Slot’s analyst and technical advisor at the Dutch club before Liverpool came calling, and has since stayed on at Feyenoord to work under Robin van Persie.
Liverpool, meanwhile, have been without a designated set-piece coach since Briggs departed in December and have now conceded 20 set-piece goals compared to Feyenoord’s four.
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, and his role as an assistant at Feyenoord sees him oversee set-pieces.
Amid the growing clamour for Liverpool to move on from Slot, any pursuit and arrival of Reijnen would all but dismiss the idea that the club will move on from the Dutchman this summer.
While the media narrative has shifted significantly, the support from the club’s hierarchy continues to be reiterated ahead of a transfer window designed to address the faults still present in the squad despite last year’s record spending.
Unrest among supporters is growing and players are speaking out about the worrying drop in standards, but FSG investing further in Slot will send a clear message.