JURGEN KLOPP could re-hire former first-team development coach Pepijn Lijnders as he looks to fill the void left by Zeljko Buvac.
JURGEN KLOPP could re-hire former first-team development coach Pepijn Lijnders as he looks to fill the void left by Zeljko Buvac.
Last month, on the eve of their Champions League semi-final against Roma, Liverpool announced that Buvac had taken leave from the club due to his personal reasons.
Liverpool have refused to give any further details, but it has been subsequently claimed he is eyeing a managerial role at another club.
Buvac is credited as being one of Klopp’s key men and crucial to his philosophy,But a return to Anfield for Buvac looks increasingly unlikely.
And in a bid to help Klopp, the Telegraph says Liverpool are considering an approach for Lijnders.
Lijnders joined Liverpool in 2014, taking charge of the U16s at the Academy before becoming first-team development coach in 2015.
When Klopp arrived in 2016, Lijnders continued in his role alongside the German.
In January, Lijnders left Liverpool to become the head coach of Dutch club NEC Nijmegen.
However, he was sacked on Thursday after Nijmegen failed to gain promotion to the Eredivisie.
The report says bringing Lijnders back to Liverpool will depend on whether he views himself as a manager or assistant.
In a statement, Nijmegen said Lijnders had failed to achieve their expectations.
“Pepijn worked with us under very difficult circumstances, which have had repercussions on both the team and on him personally,” said Remco Oversier, NEC’s sporting director.
“We consciously entered into the adventure with each other in the winter, with high expectations from both sides.
“Unfortunately this did not work out for both of us as we had previously proposed.”
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