Former Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola is set to take over as Liverpool’s manager on a two-year deal.
Iraola, a former Spain international who played for Athletic Bilbao between 2003 and 2015, took charge at Bournemouth in 2023 and oversaw a significant upturn in the club’s fortunes.
The 43-year-old replaces Dutchman Arne Slot, who led Liverpool to the Premier League title in his debut campaign but was sacked in his second season after failing to live up to.
“You don’t need a lot of things to get attracted by Liverpool. Liverpool is Liverpool,” Iraola said in a statement.
“But obviously the atmosphere, the supporters, the club, the players, the chance for me to coach top-level players.”
“The chance to fight for titles. I think it cannot be more attractive than this. It’s difficult to find it. So, really excited to start.”
Bournemouth, in the 2024-2025 season recorded a points total of 56 and finished in ninth place, their joint-best top-flight finish at the time.
At Bournemouth, Iraola garnered praise for implementing a high-pressing and progressive style of football, centred around attacking swiftly.
That approach would see him fit in well at Liverpool, who were renowned for their high-octane brand of football under Jürgen Klopp, a style that great Mohamed Salah urged the Merseyside club to revive before his departure.
Iraola now faces the difficult task of resuscitating a side that stumbled to a fifth-place finish last season, while also having to contend with the absence of Salah, who had been Liverpool’s main source of goals for the better part of the past decade.
