Liverpool are in the final stages of the process of appointing a new head coach, with Andoni Iraola set to sign a two-year contract after being hailed as Arne Slott’s ideal successor.
Liverpool and Andoni Iraola have signed a verbal agreement to appoint the Spaniard as their new head coach (Image: Maynard Manyowa/Getty Images)
Andoni Iraola will join Liverpool on a two-year deal after signing a verbal agreement to become the Reds’ new head coach, it has been claimed.
The outgoing Bournemouth manager has quickly emerged as the overwhelming favorite to replace Arne Slott after the Dutchman was sacked by Liverpool on Saturday. And now confirmation of Iraola’s appointment appears imminent, with further negotiations between the 43-year-old and the former Premier League champions.
According to a report from The Athletic, Iraola is expected to sign a two-year deal with Liverpool, with both of his previous contracts with Bournemouth having the same length.
Iraola’s appointment is expected to be approved by the end of this week, with the Spaniard keen to bring former Bournemouth assistant Tommy Elphick to Anfield, assuming Iraola’s appointment goes smoothly.
Iraola is also hoping to add Pablo de la Torre, Sean Cooper and Tom Webber to Liverpool’s backroom squad, but Liverpool have fallen well short of expectations in the Premier League this season, finishing fifth.
The former Rayo Vallecano manager left Bournemouth after guiding them to sixth place, their highest ever finish in the league, and securing Europa League qualification.
Iraola’s chances at Anfield are very intriguing given his track record at Bournemouth, but manager Jamie Carragher has doubled down on previous comments suggesting the former Cherries boss made a mistake in leaving the south coast outfit.
Carragher told the Overlap fan debate: “We watch Iraola every week. No one can say they don’t like watching Bournemouth play.”
Iraola is ready to replace Arne Slott at Anfield (Image: Getty Images)
“If Bournemouth were on TV you would definitely watch it, you would think we would have a good game.
“Last season I said this. We were talking about the Chelsea manager and it was on Monday Night Football. We were looking at Chelsea’s options and Iraola was there and I actually made that point. So I can’t take it back. I said I think it would be a mistake for Iraola to leave Bournemouth.”
“Because the next thing he needs to prove is that he can manage a season in Europe. What he demands from his players physically and when you are in Europe you have to rotate, so all of this goes into it.”
“I thought that would be the next step for him. He would prove during the European season that he could still deliver and then move on to the next club.”
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive Mirror Football content every day. Community members also receive special offers, promotions, and advertisements from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can always check out. If you are interested, please read our privacy notice.
Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+ and Ultimate TV packages
Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundles to include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, plus 135 channels and complete coverage of the Premier League and EFL from Sky.
Sky has over 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more, with at least 215 of them live from the top flight, along with F1, darts and golf.
