Arne Slot eyes two new Liverpool additions as overlooked midfielder returns to training

All the latest off-diary Reds news as Paul Gorst brings you the titbits from around Anfield in his Liverpool Notebook

A perfect start to the new Premier League season sees Arne Slot's Liverpool side riding high at the midway point of the international break. Three wins from their opening games with Bournemouth, Newcastle United and Arsenal were followed by the £125m capture of Alexander Isak to end a summer-long transfer saga by making the Sweden international the most expensive player in British football history.

The other side of the break sees the fixtures start to come thicker and faster for the Premier League leaders, however, with Burnley at Turf Moor on Sunday before a visit from Atletico Madrid in the Champions League is followed by Everton at Anfield in the first Merseyside derby of the new term.

Ahead of all that, the ECHO's brings you the latest Liverpool Notebook piece, featuring all the off-diary tidbits around Anfield.

READ MORE: I get why Alexander Isak wanted Liverpool - but he's set a precedent I don't likeREAD MORE: Alexander Isak shares what happened behind scenes on £125m Liverpool deadline day transfer

New coaches wanted

Liverpool are in the process of recruiting for a physical performance analyst and a first-team physical performance coach as Arne Slot continues to reshape his backroom staff.

Slot saw one of his two assistants leave for Ajax in the summer when John Heitinga took the head coach's role in Amsterdam and that was followed by Aaron Briggs taking on the mantle of set pieces on a more formal basis having juggled the duties alongside his other commitments during his first season at the club.

Briggs is now recognised as the official set-piece coach at the AXA Training Centre, with former Barcelona and Arsenal star Giovanni van Bronckhorst coming in over the summer as the replacement for Heitinga.

Luiz Fernando Iubel was also recently confirmed as the new individual lead coach, which is a position which aims to bridge the gap between the Academy and the first-team ranks. The Brazilian was officially confirmed last week by the club.

And the changing face of the coaching staff is set to continue with Liverpool looking to take on both a physical performance analyst and a first-team physical performance coach

The analyst role will focus on issues like sleep hygiene among the squad while also monitoring training loads, and subjective wellness every two months within the ranks. Players will gain assistance with individual recovery sessions while 'testing' will also be carried out on the squad before and after training at the AXA Centre in Kirkby.

The successful candidate will also be asked to provide live GPS feedback during pitch sessions, including drill sprints and analysis of movement during the workouts. Findings from the GPS data will be used to inform future team and rehabilitation sessions to improve performance.

The coaching role will be responsible for providing 'world leading support' for a number of first-team stars and those in the Academy ranks who Liverpool feel have high potential. Tasks include monitoring and refining each player's specific performance programme that has been set out by the coaching staff.

Physical reviews for each player in the group will also be communicated once a month while an analysis of pre-season and in-season 'testing' will also be required.

Jones back on duty

Curtis Jones was one of the few who reported for duty at the AXA Training Centre on Tuesday as the non-international contingent start to turn their attention towards the return of the Premier League this weekend.

Jones played an important part off the bench in last Sunday's 1-0 win over Arsenal at Anfield but was overlooked for the Three Lions' squad by new manager Thomas Tuchel, who gave AC Milan's Ruben Loftus-Cheek his first call-up for six years for their games with Andorra and Serbia.

As a result, Jones reported for duty at the Kirkby base on Tuesday for a session as the Reds start to look ahead to Sunday's visit to Burnley.

With Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Florian Wirtz and Ryan Gravenberch all in their respective international squads, Jones will be vying for a recall this weekend after a full week of uninterrupted training back on Merseyside.

With three games in six days, Slot may look to use the full remit of his squad meaning Jones could get the nod at Turf Moor after a full week of training.

Van Dijk honoured

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk returned to Willem II to receive a special honour this week, as the youth academy’s main stand at Sportpark Prinsenhoeve was officially renamed after him.

The Reds skipper, who spent over a decade at the club during his formative years, attended the unveiling ceremony in Tilburg, which was shared on social media accounts. The 'immortalisation', as it was coined by the club, coincided with the launch of Virgil’s Legacy Trophy, an international youth tournament founded by the 34-year-old, which brings 16 youth teams from around the world to Tilburg.

“It makes me incredibly proud that the stand at the youth academy is named after me," Van Dijk said. "Willem II played an important role in my life and in my development as a young player.

"That this is now being recognised in this way means a great deal to me and my family. It’s a very special tribute, and I appreciate the warmth and connection I still feel with the club."

Van Dijk is not the only former Willem II graduate to have starred at Anfield, however. Sami Hyypia became a club legend on Merseyside having played for the Dutch club earlier in his career, while Kostas Tsimikas won every domestic trophy on offer in England during his five years at Liverpool, having played in Holland on loan during the 2017-18 term.

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