Manchester City poaches 'an important member of the Liverpool-eighter room staff of Arne Slot', after they have already agreed a deal with the ex-assistant Pep Libnders of Jurgen Klopp.
Head of the analysis of the opposition, James French, who has worked at Anfield for 13 years, will now leave and join Liverpool's Premier League rivals to work closely with Pep Guardiola, according to the Athletic.
In one fell swoop for the English champions, the Portuguese born member of the back room team will work on Set-piece Coaching in addition to analysis at Etihad.
French will be reunited with Libnders, with whom he worked closely on Merseyside during the term of office of Klopp.
Liverpool is now confronted with the task of restoring their back room staff, after he has already lost the assistant John Heita of Slot to Ajax in the past week.
It is fascinating to see that Guardiola focuses on the staff of his former rival in Klopp while he wants to choose their brains for new tactical innovation and ideas.
After a disappointing season, one in which the city did not bring silverware home, the Spaniard brings changes behind the scenes.
Juanma Lillo, Carlos Vicens and Inigo Dominguez all leave and Guardiola is looking for new faces to challenge and inspire him.
Mainly
He did exactly that with the top job at RB Salzburg, but was fired after only seven months at the helm.
Norwich City interviewed the 42-year-old Dutchman, but in the end the temptation to work with Guardiola seems to have replaced some loyalty of Liverpool or ambitions to hold a new role of head coaching.
He will be in the city in City before their first match of the club World Cup on June 18.
It is a summer of big change for Guardiola, who already splashes players in January and the team continues to strengthen with Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki who were set before the following season.