Ex-Liverpool coach seeking swift reunion with ‘brilliant’ Reds ace who recently penned new deal | OneFootball

One Liverpool player is reportedly a target for a coach who’s only just left Anfield and is now eyeing a swift reunion with a member of Arne Slot’s squad.

Johnny Heitinga was part of the 46-year-old’s backroom staff as the Reds won the 2024/25 Premier League, but the former Everton defender was only in the job for a year before he recently agreed to become the new head coach of Ajax.

It’s therefore no great surprise that he now appears to be eyeing players from the title-winning squad as prospective summer recruits at the Amsterdam Arena.

Ajax want to sign Jaros on loan from Liverpool

According to Voetbal International, the Eredivisie runners-up are keen to sign Vitezslav Jaros on loan from Liverpool, whose reported demands could be difficult for the Dutch outfit to meet.

The goalkeeper is also believed to have interest from Lille, but whereas he’d likely be a second-choice option for the Ligue 1 side, he’d be Heitinga’s number one selection at Ajax if they’re able to secure a deal for him.

Tim van Duijn, the journalist who penned the report in question, claimed (via X) that negotiations with Anfield chiefs are ‘ongoing’ regarding a possible loan move to Amsterdam.

(Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

Could Jaros depart Liverpool on loan once again?

Jaros recently agreed a new contract at Liverpool, with his previous deal having been due to expire this month, so that gives him and the club some breathing space to decide where he’ll be playing his football in the 2025/26 campaign.

Harvey Davies has also penned an extension at Anfield, and our goalkeeping options have been bolstered by the acquisition of Hungarian goalkeeper Armin Pecsi, so there’s scope for at least one of those to be loaned out for next season unless a seismic injury crisis were to strike in L4.

The Czech stopper has been on Liverpool’s books for several years but has played just twice for the first team, albeit having a vital role in closing out a narrow win over Crystal Palace when suddenly thrust into the fray as a late substitute last October after injury to Alisson Becker.

He was also praised by Caoimhin Kelleher (who missed that game due to illness) for a ‘brilliant’ performance in the pre-season win over Manchester United last summer (liverpoolfc.com) and has been unfortunate to find himself at LFC at a time when our goalkeeping options have been of such a high standard.

There seems little point in loaning him to Lille if he wouldn’t be their first-choice pick, and with Heitinga knowing Jaros from his time at Anfield and the 23-year-old’s prospects of game-time higher with a move to Ajax, the Eredivisie club would appear to be ideal for him if he were to spend another season away from Merseyside.

Giorgi Mamardashvili’s arrival from Valencia further reduces the likelihood of the Reds’ number 56 ever establishing himself in L4, but if a year-long spell in Amsterdam would satisfy all parties and he’d be assured of regular minutes, then we’d be firmly in favour of it.