Etienne Reijnen To Liverpool: David Lynch Expects Arne Slot Coaching Staff Change

The conversation on Anfield Index’s Media Matters moved from Liverpool’s 1-1 draw with Chelsea to the wider questions around Arne Slot’s future, his staff and the structure behind him. Speaking to Dave Davis, David Lynch appeared particularly firm when the topic turned to Etienne Reijnen and the likelihood of a coaching staff change at Liverpool.

Davis introduced the subject by referencing “the back room bit” and noted that “in the last few weeks everyone’s heard again about Etienne Reijnen and him getting his work permit and the qualifications etc.” He also mentioned Giovanni van Bronckhorst being linked with Feyenoord and Johnny Heitinga being “mentioned again” as someone Arne Slot could look to bring back.

The question was direct, if Arne Slot stays, what are the chances of a backroom shake-up this summer?

Lynch convinced Reijnen will join

Lynch’s response was emphatic. Asked to score the likelihood out of ten, he said: “Oh yeah, almost ten, to be honest.” That set the tone for his view that change is not merely possible, but highly likely.

On Reijnen specifically, Lynch said: “They already recognise they need another coach.” He then added: “I would expect that Etienne Ryan would come in to replace Aaron Briggs.”

That was the key line. Lynch did not frame Reijnen as a vague name in the mix. He spoke as though Liverpool have identified a clear need in Arne Slot’s coaching staff and that Reijnen is the expected solution.

He later reinforced it, saying: “I’d say ten out of ten for Reijnen.” In context, that sounded as close as Lynch could come to certainty without formally announcing anything.

Arne Slot staff could need further reshaping

The discussion did not stop with Reijnen. Davis also raised Giovanni van Bronckhorst, who has been linked with Feyenoord, and Johnny Heitinga, who has been “mentioned again” as a possible returnee to Slot’s Liverpool setup.

Lynch said that if “another spot opens up”, then Heitinga “would be in the mix then to come back.” He added that Heitinga “got his fingers burnt a little bit being at Tottenham for such a short period of time” and that his own attempt at management “didn’t go too great.”

That made the structure of the Liverpool backroom staff a fluid issue. Reijnen, in Lynch’s telling, looks like the one who is firmly expected to arrive. Heitinga depends on whether a vacancy opens, particularly if Van Bronckhorst leaves.

As Lynch put it: “A lot depends on what happens with Van Bronckhorst. If he does go, there’s going to be a vacancy there.”

Coaching change reflects wider Liverpool concerns

The importance of this conversation lies in where it sat within the podcast. Much of the debate between Dave Davis and David Lynch focused on Liverpool’s passive football, the Chelsea draw, the Anfield boos and whether Arne Slot can solve problems quickly enough.

Against that backdrop, a coaching staff change is not cosmetic. Lynch said Liverpool “already recognise they need another coach,” which suggests the club may also see the need for new voices or added support around Slot.

His conclusion was clear enough. “One coach coming in guaranteed if he sticks around,” Lynch said. He then added that “there’s a real possibility for two.”

For Liverpool, that makes Etienne Reijnen one of the more significant names in the summer conversation. While player recruitment will dominate headlines, Lynch’s comments on Anfield Index point towards a coaching adjustment that may be seen as essential if Arne Slot remains in charge.

The strongest takeaway from the exchange was simple. On Etienne Reijnen joining Liverpool, Lynch sounded convinced. On a wider Arne Slot coaching staff reshuffle, he saw it as almost certain.