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Iraola announced in April that he would be leaving AFC Bournemouth, while Slot was sacked by Liverpool last week
Richard Jolly Senior Football Correspondent Tuesday 02 June 2026 21:44 BST- Bookmark
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Andoni Iraola has verbally agreed to become Liverpool’s next head coach as they close in on a successor to the sacked Arne Slot.
Liverpool opened talks with the Basque on Tuesday morning and made swift progress, with the former Bournemouth manager willing to accept the job.
Sporting director Richard Hughes, who took Iraola to Bournemouth three years ago, is leading Liverpool’s bid to find a replacement for Slot.
They want to make a swift appointment and it is likely Iraola will be confirmed in the next few days.
open image in galleryAndoni Iraola quickly emerged as Liverpool’s top target (Getty)Hughes identified Iraola, who left Bournemouth after taking them to the highest finish in their history, believing the Spaniard can play the fast, aggressive football Liverpool want – and which Slot’s side failed to do last season.
Liverpool are also considering Lens’s Pierre Sage and Stuttgart’s Sebastian Hoeness, but Iraola soon became the early frontrunner.
Iraola could look to bring in his backroom team from Bournemouth, with Slot’s staff of Sipke Hulshoff, Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Ruben Peeters expected to leave Anfield.
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Iraola, who has also been a target for Crystal Palace, Bayer Leverkusen and AC Milan, managed Rayo Vallecano before Bournemouth, where he finished 12th, ninth and then sixth.
The 43-year-old announced in April that he would be leaving Bournemouth come the end of the season.
Slot, meanwhile, was dismissed on Saturday, six days after a season when Liverpool, who were champions in 2025, only came fifth with a mere 60 points.
open image in galleryArne Slot was sacked by Liverpool just one year after guiding them to the Premier League title (PA)In a letter to the Liverpool fanbase, Slot wrote this week that he leaves “knowing the club is exactly where it belongs: amongst Europe’s elite”. “Securing Champions League football was an important responsibility,” he said, “and one that ensures Liverpool can continue competing at the highest level next season and beyond.
“I leave with complete confidence in what lies ahead. The players who have given so much to this club, who have upheld its values and helped create so many unforgettable moments, have built foundations that will endure. At the same time, a new generation is emerging, ready to write its own story and embrace the responsibility that comes with wearing this shirt.
“Change is part of football, but I know that this club will continue to make its people proud.”
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