Andoni Iraola has landed at Liverpool, with former Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola set to be confirmed soon as Arne Slott’s successor for the 2026/27 season.
Andoni Iraola set to become Liverpool’s new manager (Image: Robin Jones – AFC Bournemouth/AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images)
Andoni Iraola has arrived on Merseyside ahead of his appointment as Liverpool’s new head coach following the sacking of Arne Slott at the weekend.
The Spaniard’s flight from San Sebastian landed at Liverpool John Lennon Airport on Thursday morning, with Iraola already in verbal agreement with the club and set to officially sign a two-year contract.
Liverpool named the 43-year-old as their top target after they decided to leave Slott as Premier League title-winning manager after just two seasons. Iraola, who stepped off the plane and boarded a bus on the other side, will now take charge at Anfield.
The former Bournemouth manager is currently without a club after leaving the Cherries at the end of the season, having spent three years on the South Coast, most recently leading the Cherries to European football for the first time in their history. Negotiations over Liverpool’s role have been led by sporting director Richard Hughes, who brought Iraola to Bournemouth during his previous spell at the club.
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Iraola will face a huge challenge as soon as he steps into the AXA training center at Liverpool, who have lost strong players such as Ibrahima Konate, Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson on free transfers. The latter has mainly played second fiddle to former Iraola left-back Milos Kerkes this season, but will still need a replacement as the big voice in the dressing room.
Jeremy Jaquet could be considered as a replacement for Real Madrid’s Konate, while Liverpool are considering signing Yann Diomande as a replacement for Salah. A former right-back, Iraola spent most of his career at Athletic Bilbao. As a youngster, he played alongside Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and incoming Chelsea manager and former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso at San Sebastian.
Andoni Iraola’s plane landed at Liverpool John Lennon Airport on Thursday (Image: Liverpool ECHO)
He had a short stint as manager at AEK Larnaca in Cyprus, then moved on to Spanish second-division side Mirandes before spending three years at Rayo Vallecano, where he led them to the semi-finals of La Liga and the Copa del Rey.
Although Iraola has never won any major trophies as a player or manager, his aggressive and energetic approach to football has made him a household name in the Premier League.
And although Liverpool had also considered Stuttgart’s Sebastian Hoeness and Reims’ Pierre Sarge as possible replacements for the slot, they believe Iraola is the ideal player for the team after a very underwhelming season.
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