‘Man City wrap up Liverpool double deal – loyalty is dead’
Man City are not just rebuilding their playing squad this summer, with Pep Guardiola’s backroom staff also shaken up ahead of the 2025-26 campaign.
The legacy left by Jurgen Klopp and his ex-assistant Pep Lijnders was crystal clear at Liverpool last season, as Arne Slot steered the Reds to their 20th league title by a comfortable margin.
In a shock move, Lijnders is now expected to join Guardiola’s new-look coaching set-up at Manchester City along with James French – Liverpool‘s long-serving analyst of 13 years.
Lijnders first surfaced at Anfield under Brendan Rodgers, and went on to form a strong working relationship with Klopp.
City’s coaching clear-out has seen Juanma Lillo and Inigo Dominguez leave the club, while Carlos Vicens has taken over at Portuguese club Braga.
Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – claimed club loyalty appears to be a thing of the past.
Liverpool to Man City move would ‘never happen’ in the old days, says Wyness
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, Wyness insisted he has noticed a recent change in mindset among what he called a “new breed” of backroom staff.
Lijnders left Merseyside at the same time as Klopp last summer to become Red Bull Salzburg manager, but was sacked in December.
Wyness told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “I think Lijnders joining (City) was strange. We’re seeing a new breed of football backroom staff, not just in data or the Michael Edwards-type gurus at Liverpool.
“We’re seeing true professionals in each of their positions, where club loyalty isn’t quite as important – real professionals who’ve got interchangeable skills and can move around a lot more.
“The game has definitely changed in the last two or three years, and we’re seeing that in the way these managerial moves are happening.
“In the old days, it would never happen – going from Liverpool to Man City – but now they’re moving freely.
“They’re all keeping their profiles lower but their skill sets are getting more specific and more honed.
“Now it’s about interpersonal skills and how they get on together as a group, just as much as it is about loyalties. It’s the modern game.
“I think it’s the right way to go. You’re getting the right professionals to execute a particular phase in a club’s development, and that’s as important as anything else right now.”
‘Bayern Munich strike back over Florian Wirtz as Liverpool talks open’
While Liverpool may have dealt a blow to transfer rivals Bayern Munich as they look set to win the race for Florian Wirtz, the German giants are reportedly ready to counter the move by turning Cody Gakpo’s head this summer.
It is claimed Gakpo is valued at more than £60million, with the Bundesliga champions needing to sell players before launching any potential move.
According to Kicker (5 June), AC Milan star Rafael Leao is also a potential target for the Bavarian giants.
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