Liverpool agree deal for Iraola to replace Slot

Liverpool have reached a verbal agreement with Andoni Iraola to become their new head coach, with the deal expected to be finalized in the coming days. The move comes after the club sacked Arne Slot on Saturday, just a year after the Dutchman won the Premier League title.

The former Bournemouth manager was identified as the front-runner for the role by journalists on the scene shortly after Slot’s dismissal. Formal talks began this week, led by Liverpool’s sporting director Richard Hughes, who previously appointed Iraola at Bournemouth in 2023 before moving to Anfield the following year.

Iraola wants to bring a core group of his Bournemouth staff with him to Anfield. The coaching team is expected to include Pablo de la Torre, Tommy Elphick, Shaun Cooper, and Tom Webber, according to sources familiar with the negotiations. Liverpool have not yet made formal approaches to any individuals about joining the coaching staff — those decisions would only come once the advanced stage of discussions is complete.

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His track record at Bournemouth caught Liverpool’s attention. Under his leadership, the Cherries completed an 18-game unbeaten run during the second half of the 2025/26 Premier League season. They finished sixth in the table, securing Europa League football, and ended just three points behind Liverpool.

The club’s main objective has been to find a manager whose playing style fits what they want to do. Iraola’s high-intensity, pressing approach lines up with the kind of football Liverpool fans expect after years under Jurgen Klopp. But there are questions about whether that style can hold up at a club playing in the Champions League, where games come every three days. At Bournemouth, his team typically played once a week.

Iraola’s appointment would mark a significant shift for Liverpool, moving from Slot’s possession-based approach back to the high-pressing, transitional style that defined Klopp’s most successful years. Whether that works at a club expected to challenge for every trophy remains the open question.

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What the pundits are saying about Iraola

Jamie Carragher said Iraola has done “a brilliant job” in the Premier League but has “huge question marks” about him stepping into a top job. “The way he plays is definitely the way Liverpool want to go back to: high-intensity football. We know he’s fantastic at that, but it’s not just all about that when you’re the Liverpool manager,” Carragher said.

He pointed out that off-the-ball work was a major problem for Slot last season. “That’s a big part of Liverpool’s DNA, not just under Jurgen Klopp. The reason we talk about the Anfield factor, a lot of it is off the ball,” Carragher added. His main concern: “Can you play at that intensity when you’re playing every three days? That was only getting played once a week with Bournemouth. That is completely different.”

Jamie Redknapp was more optimistic. “I love the man. I never thought what Eddie Howe did could be eclipsed, but he’s done that,” Redknapp said. “The style of football is amazing — they play high pressure, they get after teams, which is exactly what Liverpool fans want.”

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Redknapp acknowledged a potential issue with Iraola’s management style. “There’s talk that he doesn’t like to talk to his players too much — if you’re not in the team, he doesn’t want to talk to you. That won’t appeal to a lot of the players,” he said. But he argued that many players now go straight to the chairman or director of football anyway. “He sets his stall out early — if you’re in the team, he tells you a couple of hours beforehand,” Redknapp said.

The pundit dismissed concerns about the step up from Bournemouth to Liverpool. “I don’t see it as a problem for him. As long as he gets the right players he needs. You can see he’s made so many players at Bournemouth go from okay players to fantastic players,” Redknapp said. “He was a great player and is now an elite manager. If it is to be him, I have no doubt.”