Liverpool man who has wowed Klopp now claims he rejected Arteta’s offer to join Arsenal in 2019

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Mikel Arteta wanted Pepijn Lijnders at Arsenal but Jurgen Klopp’s right-hand man rejected the move to North London.

Arteta became Arsenal boss back in December 2019 and is now set to enter his third full season as Gunners manager.

The Spaniard was linked with adding several coaches to his backroom staff as Arsenal made their move.

The Daily Mail reported that Arteta wanted to raid Manchester City for coaches Rodolfo Borrell and Domenec Torrent, but neither move panned out.

Albert Stuivenberg ended up making the move to Arsenal as Arteta’s assistant, but a fellow Dutchman was wanted before him.

Mikel Arteta wanted Pepijn Lijnders

Liverpool assistant coach Pepijn Lijnders has now admitted receiving an approach from Arteta when Arsenal wanted him.

Lijnders is about to release his new book, ‘Intensity: Inside Liverpool FC – Our Identity’, and he has opened up about Arteta and Arsenal in there.

As transcribed by the Daily Star, Lijnders admitted that Arteta asked him to become Arsenal assistant manager.

Lijnders and Arteta knew each other from their Pro Licence course but Lijnders really didn’t expect to receive that approach.

Arteta gave Lijnders the big sell, suggesting that he was making a huge difference to Liverpool – but it didn’t work as the Dutchman chose to stay at Liverpool.

“Mikel Arteta had asked me to be his assistant manager when he was preparing for his new step into management,” said Lijnders. “We were together years earlier on the Pro Licence course, [though] his request came out of nothing. Mikel had said he felt: ‘There was just a difference playing Liverpool before and after you came in’. This was the biggest compliment I ever got from somebody, I think, but I politely said no to him,” he added.

Lijnders, 39, was first brought into Liverpool under Brendan Rodgers before then working under Jurgen Klopp, only to leave to become NEC Nijmegen boss in 2018.

Liverpool brought him back shortly after and he has been a vital part of Klopp’s machine ever since.

Klopp raved about Lijnders in April, admitting that he had wowed him with his passion and enthusiasm for the game.

It’s no great surprise that Arteta would have wanted a coach of Lijnders’ ilk at Arsenal, but his commitment to the Liverpool cause was just too strong.