Liverpool open talks with Iraola as Slot successor search begins in earnest

Liverpool have opened talks with Andoni Iraola as the club moves quickly to appoint a successor to Arne Slot, who was dismissed on Saturday following a disappointing season in which the reigning champions finished fifth with just 60 points.

Sporting director Richard Hughes is leading the search and has a pre-existing relationship with Iraola, having been the man who brought the Spaniard to Bournemouth three years ago. Liverpool believe Iraola’s brand of fast, aggressive football is precisely what the club needs after Slot’s side failed to deliver that style last season.

Iraola left Bournemouth having guided them to the highest league finish in their history — sixth place in the Premier League — after previous finishes of 12th and ninth. He managed Rayo Vallecano before joining Bournemouth and has attracted interest from Crystal Palace, Bayer Leverkusen, and AC Milan.

While Iraola is described as the early frontrunner and Liverpool’s preferred candidate at this stage, the club is following a structured process. Lens manager Pierre Sage and Stuttgart’s Sebastian Hoeness are also under consideration, though neither has been approached as a primary target.

Despite reports linking former Liverpool midfielder Thiago Alcantara with a role in Iraola’s backroom staff, the club has yet to approach anyone with a view to joining a new coaching setup.

Liverpool are keen to move swiftly given the scale of the rebuild required after a season that saw the defending champions surrender their title and miss out on a Champions League place.