Liverpool have permitted assistant coach John Heitinga to discuss terms for the vacant Ajax head coach role, less than a year after he was appointed by the club.
Heitinga joined Arne Slot‘s staff in July last year, and as part of a well-organised backroom team he has become a popular figure among the players.
The Dutchman, formerly a player at Everton, has worked closely with the squad throughout the campaign and even managed games during Slot and Sipke Hulshoff‘s suspension.
But Liverpool are now expected to lose his experience, with sources in the Netherlands reporting that Ajax are going “all out” to bring Heitinga in as their new head coach.
De Telegraaf report that this will be in tandem with Marcel Keizer, who he briefly worked under as his assistant at Ajax in 2017.
Journalist Mike Verweijn describes Ajax as “fully committed” to appointing Heitinga as head coach and Keizer his No. 2, and the pair are “open to a return.”
AD adds that Ajax sources have confirmed Heitinga has “been given permission by Liverpool to complete his return,” and the 41-year-old is now “negotiating” a deal.
Heitinga has already been in charge of Ajax on an interim basis, taking over at the start of 2023 when Alfred Schreuder was sacked.
During that time he led his side to 14 wins, three draws and five losses in 22 games, reaching the final of the KNVB Cup, but a disagreement with sporting director Sven Mislintat saw him depart at the end of the season.
Now, with further coaching expertise acquired over spells as assistant at West Ham and Liverpool, he is poised to take the leading role on a permanent basis.
Ajax are claimed to have pursued ex-Man United manager Erik ten Hag as their priority target to replace Francesco Farioli, but he has instead succeeded Xabi Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen.
If Heitinga does leave as expected Liverpool will need to find a replacement, and there is one prime candidate for the role at this stage.
In April of last year, The Athletic‘s Adam Crafton reported that Slot “tried and failed” to convince former AZ Alkmaar and Feyenoord assistant Marino Pusic to follow him to Merseyside.
Pusic turned down the offer at the time as he was in charge of Shakhtar Donetsk, but he is now out of work having been relieved of his duties this week.
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