Liverpool open talks with Andoni Iraola after sacking Arne Slot

Liverpool moved swiftly from crisis to succession planning, opening formal talks with Andoni Iraola after sacking Arne Slot and looking to have a new head coach in place before the World Cup begins on 11 June 2026. The urgency reflects how sharply the season unraveled: Slot was dismissed on 30 May after Liverpool finished fifth in the Premier League and lost 20 matches in all competitions, a collapse that came only one year after he delivered the club’s 2024-25 title.

The club’s ownership has framed the change as a necessary shift in direction rather than a rejection of Slot’s first-year success. Liverpool won the Premier League under him, but the following campaign brought a long tail-off, mounting supporter unrest and renewed pressure around Anfield. Mohamed Salah’s public criticism of the team’s style added to the scrutiny, sharpening the sense that Liverpool wanted not just a new face, but a different footballing identity.

Iraola has emerged as the leading candidate because his record and style align with what Liverpool now want. Sources close to the process say the club is seeking a more aggressive, front-footed approach, and Iraola’s Bournemouth side played exactly in that register. He left Bournemouth after three years having guided them to their first-ever European qualification and a top-six finish in 2025-26, achievements that have strengthened his profile as one of the Premier League’s most ambitious coaches.

There is also a structural fit. Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes had already appointed Iraola at Bournemouth in 2023 after being impressed by his work at Rayo Vallecano, and the club’s football leadership, including Michael Edwards, has already carried out the review that led to Slot’s exit. That continuity matters in a rushed search: Liverpool want a manager who can move immediately from hiring to pre-season planning, not one who needs a long acclimatisation period.

Financially, the move appears viable as well. Iraola’s Bournemouth salary demand, understood to be about £10 million a year, would not be a problem for Liverpool, where Slot was on a similar level of pay. The club is also expected to sound out Stuttgart’s Sebastian Hoeneß and Lens coach Pierre Sage, but Iraola remains the clearest fit for a side that has gone from champions to crisis in 12 months and now needs a fast, decisive reset.