Manchester City Coaching Changes
Manchester City is reportedly on the verge of bolstering Pep Guardiola’s coaching team with the addition of Pep Lijnders, according to ESPN’s sources. Lijnders, who previously held the role of assistant to Jürgen Klopp at Liverpool, is anticipated to take over from Juanma Lilo, whose contract with the club concludes this summer.
Furthermore, other staff changes are in motion, with assistant İñigo Domínguez also departing and set-piece coach Carlos Vicens transitioning to a head coaching role at Portuguese club Braga.
Encouraging Discussions
Discussions between City and Lijnders have been characterized as encouraging, with expectations that an official announcement can be made once further staffing decisions are finalized within Guardiola’s setup. Lijnders has a history in coaching, having originally joined Liverpool back in 2014 during Brendan Rodgers’ tenure before working closely with Klopp, starting from October 2015.
After a stint as the head coach for the Dutch team NEC in 2018, Lijnders returned to Liverpool, ultimately leaving alongside Klopp last summer. Most recently, he was appointed head coach of Red Bull Salzburg for the upcoming 2024-25 season but was dismissed in December after leading the team in 29 matches without much success.
Transfer Targets
In addition to the coaching changes, City is looking into acquiring Rayan Cherki from Lyon, a 21-year-old forward believed to be a substitute option should their pursuit of Florian Wirtz, who is nearing a transfer to Liverpool, fall through. The club has also shown interest in Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White.
Upcoming Transfer Plans
ESPN has reported that Manchester City aims to finalize a transfer for Tijjani Reijnders, an AC Milan midfielder, before the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup, which takes place in the United States. Notably, clubs can conduct player signings for a short window between June 1 and June 10 in preparation for the tournament.
Guardiola and the players who are not participating in international matches are scheduled to return to training on June 9, followed by a flight to their training facility in Florida on June 12, prior to their first match against Wydad AC in Philadelphia on June 18.
