Liverpool weigh Iraola as Slot replacement while Hughes flies to Monaco over Curtis Jones sale

Liverpool have made contact with Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola as a potential managerial replacement for Arne Slot, according to Sky Sports journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, as the club assesses its options following a fifth-place Premier League finish and a 24-point drop from last season’s title-winning campaign.

Slot, 47, has one year remaining on his contract at Anfield, and while owners Fenway Sports Group are said to remain supportive of the Dutchman, Di Marzio reports that any approach for Iraola would be forward-looking rather than immediate. The 43-year-old Spaniard is also attracting interest from AC Milan, Bayer Leverkusen, and Crystal Palace, meaning Liverpool risk losing their primary target if they delay a decision on Slot’s future.

The uncertainty in the dugout is compounded by significant squad upheaval. Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson are both departing Anfield this summer, and Slot has publicly identified a new winger as a priority signing. Slot himself blocked a January move for academy graduate Curtis Jones, but the situation appears to have shifted heading into the off-season.

Sporting director Richard Hughes flew to Monte Carlo on Tuesday to meet with Inter Milan counterpart Piero Ausilio over a potential transfer for Jones, per Di Marzio. The Italian club had already registered interest in the Liverpool-born midfielder during the January window. Jones, 25, has just one year left on his contract and is said to be prioritising a move to Milan, according to transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano — a departure that would end his 16-year association with the club.

The convergence of managerial speculation and first-team exits marks a turbulent start to Liverpool’s summer planning, with key decisions on both the coaching staff and the squad likely to define the club’s direction heading into the 2025-26 season.