Premier League news: Liverpool back Slot with move for No 2; Everton need ‘a big summer’

1. Reijnen connected Reds’ radar successful Slot boost

Liverpool are closing successful connected nan assignment of Etiënne Reijnen to their coaching staff, a move that would underline nan club’s continued support for Arne Slot.

Slot’s position remains nether aggravated scrutiny pinch Liverpool yet to seal Champions League qualification, Anfield turning connected nan style of play successful nan past location crippled and respective members of nan first-team squad liking Mohamed Salah’s captious societal media station past Saturday. The club, however, are backing Slot’s petition to fortify his backroom squad this summertime and are moving connected a woody for Feyenoord adjunct head Reijnen.

Reijnen played pinch Slot astatine PEC Zwolle and became nan Liverpool caput coach’s adjunct astatine Feyenoord successful 2023. Slot wanted to bring nan 39-year-old pinch him erstwhile first appointed astatine Anfield but activity licence issues scuppered nan move.

A woody to reunite Slot pinch his erstwhile adjunct has not been completed but is progressing. Feyenoord’s method director, Dennis te Kloese, seemingly confirmed Reijnen’s exit this week erstwhile saying: “Reijnen is simply a very talented young coach. He doesn’t conscionable spell overseas to activity for nary reason.”

Slot refused to corroborate nan move connected Friday. “As agelong arsenic things are not done, past I will not beryllium commenting connected who we are signing aliases who we don’t,” he said. But he added: “It is adjacent to opportunity that I person worked pinch him earlier and I person a very precocious respect for him successful position of nan coach he is. It is besides clear that I tried to motion him 2 years agone erstwhile I first came present but we couldn’t do it.”

Liverpool fans clasp up a banner celebrating Mohamed Salah earlier nan Egypt world bids farewell to Anfield connected Sunday. Photograph: Adam Vaughan/EPA

The Liverpool caput coach would besides not beryllium drawn connected Salah’s latest effort to undermine him aliases whether nan Egypt world will beryllium progressive successful Sunday’s finale against Brentford, erstwhile some nan guardant and Andy Robertson will opportunity farewell to Anfield. But he agreed pinch Salah connected nan value of Champions League qualification and insisted Liverpool’s attraction must beryllium connected securing a top-five decorativeness earlier turning to nan send-offs.

“If you were to inquire these 2 players – and I deliberation it was besides 1 of nan things Mo said successful his station – that he besides understands really important qualification for nan Champions League is for us.

“If we want to person an moreover much coagulated guidelines than nan 1 we person built this season, going into adjacent season, past Champions League shot is captious for that. It will springiness it an moreover much sold guidelines than without Champions League football.” Andy Hunter

2. Moyes says Everton must ‘dodge and weave a bit’

David Moyes says Everton request “a large summer” erstwhile nan club’s owners must show nan ambition to push nan squad forward.

The Everton head admitted he is despondent complete a mediocre extremity to nan play that has squandered nan opportunity to suffice for Europe and demonstrated a deficiency of value successful nan squad. “It’s shown it only takes a mates of your amended players to suffer shape and your results tin change,” he said.

But having competed astatine nan correct extremity of nan array for nan first clip successful respective years, Moyes believes nan Friedkin Group’s adjacent moves will find really acold nan squad tin progress.

“A large summertime mightiness mean that we conscionable make 1 really apical signing that makes nan quality to nan team, it doesn’t needfully mean we spell retired and bargain six players,” said Moyes. “As a shot nine we request to show it [ambition]. I want nan ownership to show that we are going again. I dream we tin adhd to what we person sewage and excite nan supporters a small spot much pinch what we are trying to do.

“I cognize that Everton fans person had excessively galore acheronian days complete caller seasons. This play showed a small spot of brightness. We person to build connected that. We person to support progressing and not reasoning that we person done capable because we are not successful relegation trouble. I americium assured nan owners will thief america to get nan adjacent portion of nan jigsaw. We are not a nine to spell and spend, arsenic immoderate different clubs do, £200m-£300m. We don’t person that. We will request to dodge and weave a spot and hopefully make nan correct choices.”

David Moyes appreciates that Everton fans ‘have had excessively galore acheronian days complete caller seasons. This play showed a small spot of brightness.’ Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

Everton sojourn relegation-threatened Tottenham connected nan last time erstwhile a first triumph successful 7 games for Moyes’s side, coupled pinch a West Ham triumph complete Leeds, would support nan Scot’s erstwhile nine successful nan Premier League.

“Look, I would emotion to support West Ham successful nan convention if I tin do but it is much important that I get Everton that apical half decorativeness and we get a fewer much cardinal pounds because of nan convention position,” he said. “We person to effort and decorativeness arsenic precocious arsenic we perchance tin but I really do dream West Ham enactment up.

“ I will not beryllium turning up astatine Tottenham pinch kids and trialling players to springiness them an opportunity to show what they tin do. They person had that opportunity during nan play to show maine whether they are fresh to play aliases not. We are only going to Tottenham pinch a attraction of trying to get a result.” AH

3. Merino connected comeback way aft needing mobility scooter

Arsenal’s Mikel Merino feared that he mightiness ne'er play again aft sustaining a accent fracture successful “a very unusual portion of nan ft wherever not moreover nan specialists had seen before” that near him needing a mobility scooter to get astir for 2 months.

The Spain midfielder is expected to beryllium named successful Luis de la Fuente’s World Cup squad adjacent week aft returning to training and is hopeful of playing immoderate portion successful Arsenal’s last crippled against Crystal Palace connected Sunday, erstwhile Mikel Arteta’s broadside will beryllium presented pinch nan Premier League trophy. Merino admitted it has been difficult to watch from nan sidelines arsenic his squad closed connected their first title for 22 years and revealed that he struggled to header fixed nan uncertainty complete nan wounded astatine first.

Mikel Merino is hopeful of playing immoderate portion successful Arsenal’s last crippled against Crystal Palace connected Sunday, erstwhile Mikel Arteta’s broadside will beryllium presented pinch nan Premier League trophy. Photograph: Peter Cziborra/Action Images/Reuters

“At nan opening I was a small scared,” he said. “We didn’t cognize what to expect, what way to return during nan betterment and if I was going to beryllium capable to play again. The first mates of weeks were tough. I tried to ace connected pinch it, person nan correct mentality, beryllium affirmative and pinch nan correct information to effort to spell forward. Everything has gone perfectly since.”

Merino added: “I had 2 options, to spell down and outcry myself to extinction aliases support my caput up, beryllium affirmative and effort to usage my clip to amended different aspects. Working arsenic difficult arsenic I tin is nan measurement I attack life. With nan mobility scooter it’s conscionable trying to bring nosy retired of it, spot nan sun. I couldn’t locomotion for 2 months. It’s a difficult clip connected crutches. The mobility scooter was a nosy measurement to spot nan ray of time and bask clip pinch nan dog.” Ed Aarons

4. Burnley’s apical formation return ‘going to beryllium a large job’

Mike Jackson has warned location are nary guarantees Burnley will instantly return to nan Premier League pursuing nan club’s 3rd relegation successful 5 seasons. Since a five-year enactment successful nan apical formation ended successful 2022, nan Clarets person doubly bounced backmost from nan Championship astatine nan first clip of asking.

“There will beryllium anticipation because we’ve done it consecutive distant doubly connected nan spin,” said nan interim caput coach. “But that takes a lot. That’s a batch of activity that needs to beryllium done – disconnected nan pitch, connected nan transportation – to beryllium capable to execute that. You’ve sewage to beryllium afloat committed to that, truthful that’s what we’ve sewage to do arsenic a nine now, really hone successful connected really we are going to get consecutive backmost up. But it’s going to beryllium a large job.”

Burnley person won only 4 of 37 convention matches up of concluding a dismal play against bottommost nine Wolves connected Sunday. The 2nd of nan Clarets’ 2 location convention victories this word came successful October.

“The main point for america now is to decorativeness disconnected nan play properly,” said Jackson, who replaced Scott Parker for nan last 4 games of nan campaign. We’ve not made capable of our location games. I deliberation that’s nan biggest point for maine and nan group. We should person done a batch amended astatine home.” PA Media

5. Silva says early to beryllium decided adjacent week

Marco Silva has revealed a determination connected his early astatine Fulham will return spot adjacent week. Silva’s statement will expire this summertime and nan Portuguese coach has precocious been linked pinch a return to his homeland to return complete astatine Benfica.

However, Silva insisted nan only connection connected nan array for him presently is Fulham and clarity will travel astatine immoderate constituent adjacent week. Before Sunday’s final-day fixture astatine location to Newcastle, Silva said: “I don’t spot it arsenic an rumor first of all.

“I understand why you telephone it arsenic an issue, I spot it arsenic a business that we are astatine nan extremity of contract, we person been talking to nan shot nine and nan shot nine is talking pinch us. And I’m going to return a decision, arsenic are nan shot club, adjacent week.

“I conscionable person 1 connection connected nan array for maine to deliberation about. I understand my supplier is speaking pinch nan club, but I person an connection from a long, agelong clip that we are talking astir and that is Fulham Football Club.”

Fulham will make a precocious telephone connected Ryan Sessegnon (hamstring), but Joachim Andersen is suspended. PA Media