Liverpool Coach Set For Potential Departure - 'Leading Candidate' To Take Over As Manager Of English Club
West Bromwich Albion are in search of a new head coach after Carlos Corberan left the club to join La Liga strugglers Valencia in the early hours of Christmas Day. The 41-year-old has signed a three-year deal after Valencia paid his release clause, reportedly to be in the region between £3-4million.
READ MORE: Virgil van Dijk’s Recent Claims Spark Hope Amid Liverpool Contract Uncertainty
Corberan replaces Ruben Baraja who was sacked after two wins in 17 league matches this season.
A statement from Valencia’s official website read: “Carlos Corberan has been appointed as coach of Valencia CF, signing a contract through to 2027. A buy-out option in his contract with West Bromwich Albion was taken up to allow him to leave.”
Posting on social media platform X, Corberan said: “I cannot begin to explain how I feel about West Bromwich Albion, its fans and everyone associated with the club.
“In my more than two years here I have only felt LOVE from this community and the decision to leave has been the hardest of my life. There will ALWAYS be a place in my heart for this special club and I hope one day I can return to thank you all for your incredible support.”
READ MORE: How Liverpool Stars View Darwin Nunez Amid Striker's Struggles This Season
West Brom have confirmed that Chris Brunt, Damia Abella, and Boaz Myhill will oversee first-team duties until further notice while the search for a new head coach continues.
Sporting director Andrew Nestor Patel said: “The process to identify and appoint a successor is already underway and we have every faith in the team, led by Chris Brunt and Damià Abella, to continue our work on the pitch during this interim period.”
According to Football Insider, "Liverpool first-team coach John Heitinga is a leading contender to be the appointed new West Brom manager." Heitinga joined Arne Slot's backroom staff earlier this summer following his exit from West Ham United.
The report claims that "Heitinga’s Premier League experience and his progressive style of management makes him an attractive option for West Brom as they look at potential options to keep their bid for promotion on track.
READ MORE:Arne Slot's Pre Match Leicester City Press Conference | Everything You Need To Know
The 41-year-old has been instrumental in Liverpool’s success so far this season as the Reds lead both the Premier League and Champions League tables while also reaching the semifinals of the Carabao Cup.
Slot recently in an interview heaped praise on the former Everton defender after the Liverpool head coach was banned from the touchline for their Carabao Cup quarter-final win at Southampton.
“John Heitinga is here with me for the first half of the season and I couldn’t have wished for more," Slot said.
“A very, if I say talented I don’t rate him high enough because he’s more than that. He’s been a head coach before, still young but grew into our staff from the start in a good manner and has the same idea about football – that’s why I chose him.”
Heitinga won 87 caps for the Netherlands and represented Ajax, Atletico Madrid, Everton, Fulham, and Hertha BSC before retiring in 2016. He later moved into coaching, working with various youth teams within the Ajax set-up.
He took charge of the Amsterdam club’s senior side between January and June 2023 where he helped to turn around the club’s season – winning 11 of their final 16 matches. Heitinga left the Eredivisie side after the 2022/23 season and moved to England to work as the first-team assistant coach at West Ham under David Moyes.
READ MORE: Virgil van Dijk 'Will Renew With Liverpool' Until 2028 As Real Madrid Stance Made Clear Over Trent Alexander-Arnold
LFC Transfer Room Football Correspondent. Covered the fortunes of Liverpool for the past three years. Follow Joseph on X (formerly Twitter) @joseph_agbobli