Arne Slot has chosen former Arsenal and Barcelona star as new Liverpool assistant

Arne Slot is set to bring in former Arsenal, Barcelona and Rangers defender Giovanni van Bronckhorst as his new assistant at Liverpool.

John Heitinga had been in the role as the Reds won the Premier League title last season but he has left to take charge of Ajax.

A number of names have been linked with replacing Heitinga, including Liverpool cult hero Dirk Kuyt, but it appears Slot’s search is at an end.

The Times report that Van Bronckhorst is close to being appointed at Anfield where he will join Slot’s backroom staff.

It appears something of a coup for Liverpool to get the 50-year-old in as a coach as Van Bronckhorst has already held some high profile jobs as a manager.
After two spells there as a player he started his managerial career with Feyenoord in 2015 and won the Eredivisie in 2017.
Van Bronckhorst spent four years in charge of the Dutch side, but his time with clubs since then has been much shorter.

A short stint in China with Guangzhou R&F was followed by a year with Rangers and then just 20 games in charge of Besiktas in 2024.

The versatile defender and midfielder had a brilliant playing career, winning 106 caps for Netherlands.

He won the Premier League with Arsenal, two La Liga titles with Barcelona and two Scottish Premier League titles with Rangers.

He also landed the Champions League with Barca in 2006 and lifted the FA Cup with the Gunners in 2003, while reaching a World Cup final with Netherlands in 2010.

Slot managed Feyenoord from 2021-24, taking over the club two years after Van Bronckhorst departed.

The two will now unite on Merseyside, with the newcomer working alongside Sipke Hulshoff and Aaron Briggs under Slot’s management.

Despite enjoying an incredible season last time around as they won a second Premier League title, Liverpool are going through a summer of quite significant change.

As well as in the coaching department there will be notable changes on field as well, with Jeremie Frimpong already arriving to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Florian Wirtz is expected to arrive next in a club record deal with Bayer Leverkusen, while the Reds are being linked with a string of strikers as they look to get rid of Darwin Nunez this summer.

Milos Kerkez is likely to arrive from Bournemouth, which has put Andy Robertson’s future in doubt.