Manchester City recruit ‘integral’ Arne Slot staff member at Liverpool after Pep Lijnders addition | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola is set to welcome another of Jurgen Klopp’s former Liverpool staff members as he continues his re-work of Manchester City’s backroom structure.

It is the latest development as Manchester City go in search of fresh ideas and vision on the game within their first-team staff structure, following the departure of three members at the end of a disappointing last season.

The Club confirmed that following the expiry of their respective contractual agreements, both Juanma Lillo and Inigo Dominguez would be exiting the Etihad Stadium, leaving a vacancy for a new assistant manager and technical coach.

The duo were followed out of the door by Carlos Vicens who, despite being offered the opportunity to renew his deal with Manchester City, opted to leave behind his set-piece coach responsibilities to take on the head coach role at SC Braga in Portugal.

City bosses have moved with intent to try and fulfil the spaces left behind by the trio in the lead up to the FIFA Club World Cup with former assistant to Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, Pep Lijnders accepting a proposal from the Etihad Stadium.

And it now appears as though the Dutchman will not be the only former colleague of Klopp at Anfield to make a move into Manchester City’s set-up, with Etihad staff recruiting one of Arne Slot’s ‘integral’ members of staff.

That is according to the information of The Athletic’s James Pearce and Jordan Campbell, who reveal that Manchester City are set to add Liverpool’s long-standing opposition analyst James French to their new-look backroom staff structure under Pep Guardiola.

The Portugal-born analyst, who has been in place at Anfield since 2012, is reportedly set to take up a role at the Etihad Stadium focussing on set-piece coaching and analysis, reuniting with his former colleague, Pep Lijnders.

French initially joined Liverpool during Brendan Rodgers and is said to have become an ‘integral part of the club’s analysis department’ under both Jurgen Klopp and Arne Slot, before saying goodbyes to staff following Liverpool’s Premier League title-winning celebrations.

Aside from the additions of Pep Lijnders and James French, Manchester City are also believed to be considering the possibility of promoting former central defender Kolo Toure from their Academy coaching staff into the first-team.

The Ivorian has been a part of the Etihad Stadium club’s youth staff structure since his exit from Wigan Athletic after making attempts in the head coach industry at senior level, working alongside a number of Manchester City’s senior youth staff in another successful season.

There has also been talk of the club looking within the City Football Group for new voices and ideas, with Melbourne City Academy coach and former West Ham United midfielder Alessandro Diamanti viewed as an option.