Within the opening days of the January switch window, the dialogue amongst many Liverpool followers has revolved about potential exits relatively than new signings.
The previous week has seen Actual Madrid make an unsuccessful strategy for Trent Alexander-Arnold, adopted by Mo Salah declaring that there’s been ‘no progress‘ on renewing his contract, which (like that of the vice-captain and Virgil van Dijk) expires in six months’ time.
It’s not simply Reds gamers who’ve been linked with potential exits, both. On Boxing Day, Soccer Insider reported that West Bromwich Albion recognized Arne Slot’s assistant coach Johnny Heitinga as a number one contender for the vacant managerial put up at The Hawthorns.
Heitinga’s agent shoots down rumours of Liverpool exit
Based on De Telegraaf on Saturday morning, the Baggies imagine that the 41-year-old may give them a big ‘push’ in the direction of promotion to the Premier League, however evidently he received’t be leaving Liverpool any time quickly.
The previous Everton defender isn’t serious about strolling out on the Reds mid-season and intends to focus on his work on Merseyside, a viewpoint which was subsequently verified by his agent.
Rob Jansen emphatically outlined that “John will certainly keep at Liverpool this season”, thus showing to finish West Brom’s hopes of luring the 2010 World Cup finalist to the Midlands.
Heitinga proper to bide his time with high-flying Liverpool
Liverpool will little doubt be glad that Heitinga has seemingly distanced himself from the Baggies job, because the upheaval from him abandoning Slot’s backroom workforce would’ve been a most unwelcome distraction throughout a probably wonderful season for the Reds.
It will’ve been comprehensible if the 41-year-old had been tempted to some extent by the prospect of touchdown his first everlasting supervisor’s job in senior soccer, having had a caretaker stint at Ajax two years in the past earlier than serving as David Moyes’ assistant at West Ham in 2023/24 and subsequently shifting to Merseyside.
Fortunately, it seems that his desire is to proceed his tremendous work with LFC, with Paul Joyce just lately claiming that the previous Netherlands worldwide has impressed his boss together with his involvement behind the scenes in Kirkby.
Heitinga will possible get his probability to be a primary sooner or later, particularly if Liverpool proceed to thrive with him as a part of Slot’s backroom workers, however he needn’t look too far again for a cautionary story about shifting from assistant coach to the primary man.
After a few years as Jurgen Klopp’s trusted lieutenant, Pep Lijnders took the supervisor’s job at Purple Bull Salzburg final summer time however was sacked earlier than Christmas with the Austrian giants approach off the tempo domestically and within the Champions League.
It stays to be seen what the quick future holds for him, however for Heitinga, it seems as if he’s staying firmly put at Anfield.
