On the opening day of the January transfer window, discussion among many Liverpool fans focused on potential transfers rather than new signings.
Last week Real Madrid showed their failed approach to Trent Alexander-Arnold, with Mo Salah declaring ‘no progress’ on renewing his contract. The contract (as is the case with the vice-captain and Virgil van Dijk) expires in 2019. 6 months time.
It’s not just Manchester United players who have been linked with a potential exit. On Boxing Day, Football Insider reported that West Bromwich Albion had identified Arne Slot’s assistant coach Johnny Heitinga as their main contender for the vacant manager’s job at The Hawthorns.
Haitinga’s agent has dismissed rumors of a Liverpool exit.
According to De Telegraaf on Saturday morning, the Baggies believe the 41-year-old can make a significant ‘pressure’ towards promotion to the Premier League, but it appears he will not be leaving Liverpool any time soon.
The former Everton defender has no interest in leaving for the Reds mid-season and plans to focus on his work on Merseyside, a view later confirmed by his agent.
Rob Jansen emphasized: “John will remain at Liverpool this season.”So West Brom’s hopes of luring the 2010 World Cup finalist to the Midlands appear to be over.
Haitinga has the right to bide his time with Liverpool
Liverpool will no doubt be pleased that Haitinga appears to have moved on from his place at the Baggies. The upheaval of his abandonment of Slot’s backroom team would have been a most unwelcome disruption to a potentially glorious season for the Reds.
It would have been understandable if the 41-year-old, who worked as David Moyes’ assistant at Ajax after working as a caretaker two years ago, was somewhat tempted by the prospect of taking on his first permanent managerial job in senior football. He will move to Merseyside after West Ham in 2023/24.
Thankfully, his preference appears to be to continue the good work at LFC, with Paul Joyce recently claiming the former Netherlands international has impressed his boss with his behind-the-scenes involvement at Kirkby.
Haitinga will have a chance to be number one in the future. He doesn’t have to go back too far to find a cautionary tale about the transition from assistant coach to coach, especially if Liverpool continue to grow with him as part of the backroom staff in the slot. hero.
After spending several years as Jurgen Klopp’s trusted lieutenant, Pep Lijnders took over as manager at Red Bull Salzburg last summer but was sacked before Christmas with the Austrian giants falling far behind domestically and in the Champions League.
What the immediate future holds for him is yet to be seen, but for Haitinga it looks like he is firmly committed to staying at Anfield.
