Pep Guardiola is set to add another ex-Liverpool member of staff to his backroom team at Manchester City, with James French set to take join the club. The Portuguese-born analyst is set to head to the Etihad Stadium to take up a role which will see him work on set-piece coaching and general analysis.

French has spent the last 13 years working at Anfield on opposition analyst, initially joining the club whilst Brendan Rodgers was at their helm. He went on to become a key part of the Reds’ analysis department during Jurgen Klopp’s tenure and remained an important figure during Arne Slot’s debut campaign on Merseyside last season.

According to The Athletic, French is now set to leave the Reds and become a member of Guardiola’s backroom staff. The Spaniard is in the heart of reshuffling his ranks following the departures of Juanma Lillo and Inigo Dominguez, who both departed at the end of the season upon the expiry of their contracts.

Lillo became a familiar face alongside Guardiola, but he is now set to be replaced by Klopp’s former assistant Pep Lijnders – who is closing in on an agreement to join City as assistant manager.

Lijnders spent nine-and-a-half years in total at Liverpool, leaving the club with Klopp last summer. He then joined Austrian outfit Red Bull Salzburg but was sacked in December following a disappointing stint as head coach.

The 42-year-old is now set to return to an assistant role, with Guardiola hoping to bring in a flurry of new faces to ‘challenge him and help him innovate’. The reshuffle comes after City concluded the 2024/25 campaign without any silverware and a third-place finish in the Premier League.

Guardiola will be hoping that the additions of Lijnders and French will help City return to their glory days, and the pair are expected to join the club alongside a flurry of new signings. Wolves’ Rayan Ait-Nouri is a top target at the Etihad and the left-back has already green lighted a move to the club following a fantastic campaign.

City are also looking to bolster their midfield ranks and have reportedly reached an agreement worth £46.3million for AC Milan star Tijjani Reijnders. The Netherlands international is set to join the club on a five-year deal.