City close to signing ex-Klopp assistant for Guardiola’s coaching staff

Manchester City is close to finalizing a deal to bring Pep Lijnders into Pep Guardiola’s coaching staff, according to sources close to the club.

Lijnders, who was Jürgen Klopp’s assistant at Liverpool, will take over the position of Juanma Lillo, whose contract at the Etihad Stadium expires this summer. In addition to Lillo, assistant Íñigo Domínguez and set-piece coach Carlos Vicens, who has accepted to be the head coach of Braga, will also leave the team.

Conversations with Lijnders have been positive and the club expects to make an official announcement once other additions to Guardiola’s staff have been agreed upon.

Lijnders arrived at Liverpool in 2014 under the management of Brendan Rodgers and began working with Klopp after his appointment at Anfield in October 2015. In 2018, he took over as head coach of the Dutch NEC, but returned to Liverpool six months later. He announced his departure along with Klopp last summer and was appointed head coach of Red Bull Salzburg before the 2024-25 season. The 42-year-old coach has been out of work since December, after being dismissed by the Austrian team after only 29 matches.

Meanwhile, City is exploring a deal for Lyon forward Rayan Cherki.

The 21-year-old player is considered an alternative to Florian Wirtz, who is close to signing for Liverpool. There is also interest in Morgan Gibbs-White, from Nottingham Forest. The City hopes to finalize a deal for AC Milan midfielder Tijjani Reijnders before the FIFA Club World Cup. Clubs can sign players between June 1st and 10th before the tournament in the United States. Guardiola and the players not involved in international matches are scheduled to return to training on June 9. They are scheduled to travel to their training base in Florida on June 12 before their opening match against Wydad AC in Philadelphia on June 18.