Earlier this summer, Liverpool brought John Heitinga onto Arne Slot’s coaching team.
John Heitinga, now an assistant coach at Liverpool, may be key if Arne Slot intends to pursue West Ham’s Mohammed Kudus this summer. Liverpool have shown interest in Kudus, who comes with an £85 million release clause.
Kudus has a history of working with Heitinga on two separate occasions. The 23-year-old was part of Ajax’s squad under Heitinga’s coaching and later rejoined him at West Ham a year ago.
Previously, Heitinga was on David Moyes’ coaching staff at West Ham last season but exited following Moyes’ departure. Currently, Heitinga is part of Arne Slot’s team at Liverpool.
Kudus has expressed that Heitinga was the best coach he had at Ajax and noted that their strong relationship continued during their time at West Ham.
“I felt very good under Heitinga. He is the best trainer I have had at Ajax,” he said. “Apart from the training aspect, I also have a very high regard for him in terms of standards and values. Personally, I would have loved to work with him longer
“He is a top trainer, and I really appreciated his efforts to make the players better at the time. When he [Heitinga] took over for the rest of the season, he made an immediate impact. It got better.
“When we met again, there were immediate things that connected us. He tried to make me and all the other players better. I am very grateful to him for our time at West Ham.”
Kudus had an impressive season for West Ham, netting 14 goals and contributing six assists in 45 matches across all competitions. With a new head coach, Julen Lopetegui, at the helm, there is a strong desire to retain the Ghana international despite interest from Premier League and European clubs.
Liverpool are anticipated to seek a new winger in the transfer market. Kudus’s ability to play both as a winger and in a central role could be advantageous for the team, making him an appealing option for coach Slot if he decides to pursue the player.
There are ongoing speculations about the futures of Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz at Anfield. Salah, in particular, is attracting interest from Saudi Arabian clubs, especially since he only has a year left on his current contract.
In addition, Japanese media outlet Sponichi has reported that Liverpool are nearing a £55m deal for Takefusa Kubo from Real Sociedad. Kubo’s representatives are said to be in England finalizing the details of the transfer with Liverpool.
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