Arne Slot’s masterstroke signing is Liverpool’s best business of summer window

Liverpool boss Arne Slot recently strengthened his Anfield backroom staff with the impressive acquisition of Giovanni van Bronckhorst

Florian Wirtz is undoubtedly Arne Slot’s marquee summer signing at Liverpool – but Giovanni van Bronckhorst might yet prove to be his best. The exit of highly-rated assistant coach Johnny Heitinga – an unsung hero of last season’s Premier League title triumph – to Ajax was undoubtedly a blow.

But now Liverpool have swiftly recruited a vastly experienced, high-class replacement in van Bronckhorst, who has already won seven trophies during various managerial spells in Holland, Scotland and Turkey.

The former Arsenal and Barcelona defender – capped 105 times by the Netherlands – actually lifted more silverware (five trophies) than Slot at Feyenoord and also guided the Dutch giants to Eredivisie glory for the first time in 18 years.

It’s no surprise to see him jump at the chance to work alongside his compatriot at Anfield, however, as the pair set their sights on another slice of history; an English-record 21st league crown.

Van Bronckhorst previously said of his new partner in crime: “Arne Slot is an exceptional coach in my eyes, he is showing great things with Liverpool and is doing that in the toughest league in the world.

“I have seen it as an Arsenal player: the Premier League is extremely tough. But Arne was successful in his first year and he’s a really great coach. He’s also been sacked once in his career at AZ Alkmaar, a sacking hurts.”

Van Bronckhorst, who guided Rangers to the Europa League final in 2022, has been out of work since November when he was dismissed by Besiktas.

He has worked under several top bosses including Arsene Wenger, Frank Rijkaard and Guus Hiddink but had become disillusioned by the lack of patience in the modern game.

That’s precisely why a new challenge and the opportunity to be part of Slot’s Dutch revolution at Anfield proved too good to resist.

The 50-year-old said of his Besiktas sacking: “The year before I arrived they had finished 43 points behind the champions. You can’t close that gap in four months but clubs don’t have patience anymore, the pressure is huge.’’

While this is his first coaching role in England, he does know what it takes to get the best from some of the world’s elite.

Van Bronckhorst is fluent in both German and Spanish meaning he can help with the integration of £116million acquisition Wirtz and goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, arriving from Valencia.

An extra line of communication with both Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez, providing they stay, will also be welcomed.

Additionally, it should not be forgotten that Van Bronckhorst was an integral leader at Barcelona in a Champions League-winning dressing room that contained both Ronaldinho and teenager Lionel Messi.

Van Bronckhorst, who won 22 trophies as a player, said of the Brazilian: “Ronaldinho regularly rocked up for training wearing Havaianas flip flops.

“You could see the sand from the Barca beach between his toes and he’d tell us he couldn’t train that day. We’d push him but knew in the next match, he’d excel again.

“I used to play behind him on the left and I never knew what he was going to do! He’d tell me ‘just run forward and come join me on the flank’ – if anyone showed me how to enjoy the game, it was him!”

He also witnessed the day Messi came of age, concluding: “We played a friendly against Porto, our team was made up of youth players.

“Messi was 16 and only talked with his feet, Rijkaard gave him eight minutes and our assistant coach Henk ten Cate called me later that night and said ‘this kid is the new star, he will replace Ronaldinho’.’’

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