Manchester City are closing in on a deal to name Pep Lijnders as part of Pep Guardiola’s new-look backroom staff, sources have told ESPN.
Lijnders, who served as Jürgen Klopp’s assistant at Liverpool, is set to replace Juanma Lilo, whose contract at the Etihad Stadium will expire this summer.
Fellow assistant Íñigo Domínguez is also leaving, along with set-piece coach Carlos Vicens, who has agreed to become head coach of Portuguese side Braga.
Sources have told ESPN that talks with Lijnders have been positive and that the club hope to make an announcement once other new additions to Guardiola’s staff have been agreed.
Lijnders joined Liverpool under Brendan Rodgers in 2014 and began working with Klopp following the German’s appointment at Anfield in October 2015.
He took over as head coach of Dutch side NEC in 2018, but returned to Liverpool six months later.
He announced his departure along with Klopp last summer and was named head coach of Red Bull Salzburg ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.
The 42-year-old has been out of work since December after being dismissed by the Austrian side after just 29 games.
Meanwhile, sources have told ESPN that City are exploring a deal for Lyon forward Rayan Cherki.
The 21-year-old is viewed as an alternative to Florian Wirtz, who is nearing a move to Liverpool. There is also interest in Nottingham Forest‘s Morgan Gibbs-White.
Sources have told ESPN that City hope to tie up a deal for AC Milan midfielder Tijjani Reijnders before the FIFA Club World Cup.
Clubs are allowed to sign players between June 1 and June 10 ahead of the tournament in the United States.
Guardiola and players not involved in international games are due back in training on June 9. They are set to fly to their training base in Florida on June 12 before their opening game against Wydad AC in Philadelphia on June 18.