Cliff Notes – Jürgen Klopp’s ex-assistant Pep Lijnders to join Man City sources
- Manchester City are nearing a deal to appoint Pep Lijnders as part of Pep Guardiola’s revamped coaching staff, replacing Juanma Lilo.
- Lijnders, previously an assistant at Liverpool, has been out of work since December after a brief stint as head coach at Red Bull Salzburg.
- City are also pursuing new signings, including Lyon’s Rayan Cherki and AC Milan’s Tijjani Reijnders, ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup.
Jürgen Klopp’s ex-assistant Pep Lijnders to join Man City – sources
Manchester City are closing in on a deal to name Pep Lijnders as part of Pep Guardiola’s new-look backroom staff.
Lijnders, who served as Jürgen Klopp’s assistant at Liverpool, is set to replace Juanma Lilo, whose contract at the Etihad Stadium will expire this summer.
Fellow assistant Íñigo Domínguez is also leaving, along with set-piece coach Carlos Vicens, who has agreed to become head coach of Portuguese side Braga.
Talks with Lijnders have been positive and that the club hope to make an announcement once other new additions to Guardiola’s staff have been agreed.
Pep Lijnders is close to joining Manchester City
Lijnders joined Liverpool under Brendan Rodgers in 2014 and began working with Klopp following the German’s appointment at Anfield in October 2015.
He took over as head coach of Dutch side NEC in 2018, but returned to Liverpool six months later.
He announced his departure along with Klopp last summer and was named head coach of Red Bull Salzburg ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.
The 42-year-old has been out of work since December after being dismissed by the Austrian side after just 29 games.
Meanwhile, City are exploring a deal for Lyon forward Rayan Cherki.
The 21-year-old is viewed as an alternative to Florian Wirtz, who is nearing a move to Liverpool. There is also interest in Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White.
City hope to tie up a deal for AC Milan midfielder Tijjani Reijnders before the FIFA Club World Cup.
Clubs are allowed to sign players between June 1 and June 10 ahead of the tournament in the United States.
Guardiola and players not involved in international games are due back in training on June 9. They are set to fly to their training base in Florida on June 12 before their opening game against Wydad AC in Philadelphia on June 18.