Spanish tactician Andoni Iraola is all set to become the new Liverpool manager, as a deal has been agreed.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Liverpool have reached an agreement in principle with Andoni Iraola to take charge as their new manager. He will be replacing Arne Slot, who was recently shown the exit door by the Merseyside club.
Iraola was already in talks with the Premier League giants following the departure of the Dutch manager. Those talks advanced over the last 40 hours, and now a deal is in place for him to lead the new Liverpool project.
Following his impressive work at Rayo Vallecano, he was handed the reins of Bournemouth in the summer of 2023. Over the last three years, he has completely transformed the Cherries and has also helped them secure Europa League football with his aggressive and attacking brand of football.
While Bournemouth would have wanted him to be around next season as well, Iraola decided to bring an end to his stint at the club. The Spanish manager wants to manage a bigger club, and since he is available for free, a number of top clubs were after him.
Iraola to get his dream move
Crystal Palace reportedly tabled an offer for the 43-year-old. But he decided to play the waiting game and didn’t respond to their proposal within the deadline. Iraola wanted to manage Liverpool, and he was waiting to see if they would part ways with Arne Slot.
Once the Merseyside club decided to sack Slot, they immediately started pushing for the signature of Iraola. He was their priority target, and with the manager keen on the move, it didn’t take long before both parties reached an agreement.
Given the kind of impact he has had at Bournemouth, and the fact that he has already proven himself in the Premier League, suggests taking Liverpool back to the top of European football might not be that difficult a task for him. His high-intensity pressing and rapid vertical attack style of football seems to be a perfect fit for the Merseyside club, who had lost a bit of their identity under Slot.
