Pep Guardiola's 'half-hour chat' convinced Jurgen Klopp's 'most trusted ally' to forget Liverpool allegiances and join Man City

A half-hour conversation from City manager Guardiola was enough to convince Lijnders to join his old rivals, according to The Athletic. Lijnders was Klopp's right-hand man as Liverpool battled the Cityzens for the Premier League title but his past allegiances haven't been an issue for the 42-year-old, even though he only left Anfield a year ago.

City confirmed Lijnders' move earlier on Tuesday, with the Dutchman arriving alongside new set-piece coach James French. Both will be in Guardiola's back-room staff for the Club World Cup, with their first match coming next week on Wednesday against Wydad Casablanca.

Lijnders left Liverpool at the same time as Klopp last year after two separate spells in his coaching staff. He has had two stints as a manager with NEC Nijmegen and Salzburg, but neither have been successful. His arrival at City comes after former assistant coaches Juanma Lillo and Inigo Dominguez left the club at the end of their contracts.

City face Casablanca in their first Club World Cup game and then take on Al-Ain and Juventus in their remaining Group G matches.