Arne Slot expands his Liverpool powerbase as FSG make their feelings clear

There has been much speculation in recent days regarding the future of Arne Slot.

The Liverpool head coach, 47, has suffered a disastrous second season in charge. Although the Dutchman won the Premier League title in his rookie campaign it’s been a season to forget for the tactician and his players.

Liverpool have been humiliated in both domestic cups and were eliminated convincingly by Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.

Their participation in next season’s Champions League is not yet confirmed - with the club requiring a result against Brentford on the final day of the season to be sure.

It’s an unthinkable scenario one year on from the 2024/25 title win and a mammoth £450m spending spree that was supposed to improve the squad even further.

Fans wanted Slot to be sacked

Slot is under contract until 2027 and is facing an end-of-season review with sporting director Richard Hughes. Rumours abounded earlier in the week that FSG would end Slot’s tenure a year early and pursue a deal to appoint Andoni Iraola instead.

But events over the past 24 hours have only served to shore up Slot’s powerbase - a reminder to disgruntled supporters that the title-winning head coach is going nowhere.

Slot confirmed on Friday that Etienne Reijnen - one of his Feyenoord staff members - is set to join his backroom team in the off-season.

Reijnen was originally due to move with Slot back in 2024 but lacked the necessary qualifications to earn a work permit. He’s been working with Robin van Persie for the Eredivisie giants this season - but the 39-year-old cut ties last Sunday.

Key Slot ally to be appointed by FSG

Reijnen played with Slot at PEC Zwolle before impressing the Liverpool head coach with his work at Cambuur. Regarded as a set-piece expert and an innovative trainer Reijnen’s appointment will swell Slot’s influence inside the AXA Training Ground.

There is simply no way FSG would okay this hire if they were making plans to dispense with his services this summer.

“Well, it is fair to say that I have worked with him before,” Slot said per the Daily Telegraph.

“And I have a very high regard for him in terms of the coach he is. “It is also clear that I tried to sign him two years ago when I first came here, but we couldn’t do it.”

It could be a case of one out, one in in the case of Reijnen with Giovanni van Bronckhorst expected to leave Slot’s staff for a position back at Feyenoord.

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