Agent talks 'SERIOUS option' of Liverpool contract
Liverpool are dealing with an incredible number of incomings and outgoings this summer. We've already seen Jeremie Frimpong arrive and Caoimhin Kelleher leave and the season is barely over.
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Every expectation is that Florian Wirtz will soon arrive, as will Milos Kerkez. There are strong links for both Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez to depart.
We've got question marks over Ibrahima Konate, Joe Gomez, Jarell Quansah, Kostas Tsimikas, Harvey Elliott...
And we imagine Liverpool will push to sign a striker soon. It's all quite amazing given this is the start of the summer.
But there's one other exit that will be difficult to handle. It's simply not the same as a player leaving.
Heitinga departs Liverpool
Johnny Heitinga is the new Ajax head coach, leaving Liverpool after just one season. It's not necessarily a shock that he took the job - Heitinga came up through the Ajax academy and a senior player there for nine years.
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In fact, the Dutchman was even interim manager there for a spell in 2023. After the success Liverpool have had this season with Heitinga involved, he was a natural arrival at Ajax.
But it seems there was a real chance for him to secure a future with Liverpool. That's according to his agent, Rob Jansen.
"That he would leave Liverpool, we were already confirmed of that," says Jansen, per ESPN. "He was ready to take the next step. Later, by the way, we are very pleased that it worked out [with Ajax]."
"From West Ham United to Liverpool, turned a mega-year there, but he wants to stand on his own two feet [as a head coach]. That's what he wanted for that.
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"Extending at Liverpool was a serious option, they really wanted that too, but John said: 'if there is somewhere I can go to'..."
It's always a blow when you lose a key member of the coaching staff. Liverpool, though, will have plenty of successors in mind as they look to plug the gap left by Heitinga.
No one can begrudge him wanting to be a head coach. It certainly feels like he's earned it.
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