Liverpool in Talks with Former Bournemouth Coach Iraola

Liverpool are going to start talks with Andoni Iraola to be the club's new head coach after letting go of Arne Slot.

The Reds parted ways with Slot on Saturday. This comes just a year after the Dutchman led the team to win the Premier League title.

Liverpool want to find a new coach quickly. Iraola is now seen as the top choice for the job.

According to BBC Sport on Monday, the 43-year-old Spaniard had a great time at Bournemouth. He helped the Cherries reach their highest-ever finish in the Premier League.

The south coast team ended the season in sixth place. This earned them a spot in next season's Europa League, finishing only three points behind Liverpool.

While Liverpool has looked at other candidates like Stuttgart's Sebastian Hoeness and Lens's Pierre Sage, Iraola is likely to be offered the job.

Iraola said in April that he would leave Bournemouth when the season ended. He has caught the attention of several European teams, including Crystal Palace, AC Milan, and Bayer Leverkusen.

Liverpool's choice to dismiss Slot seems to be aimed at finding a coach who will bring a more aggressive and high-energy style of play.

Richard Hughes, the club's sporting director, used to work with Iraola when he was Bournemouth's technical director. This connection could help during the hiring process.

Even though Liverpool qualified for next season's Champions League, they had a disappointing league season. They finished with 60 points, which is their lowest since the 2015-16 season and 25 points behind champions Arsenal.

Iraola, a former Spain international, spent most of his playing days at Athletic Bilbao before moving into coaching.

He started his coaching career with AEK Larnaca in Cyprus. He later managed Mirandes and Rayo Vallecano in Spain before taking over at Bournemouth in 2023.

Liverpool is expected to speed up discussions in the next few days. They want to hire a new manager before pre-season preparations begin.