Andoni Iraola is the red-hot favourite to become Liverpool’s next manager. The Reds dropped a bombshell on Saturday, announcing that they’d SACKED Arne Slot.
Despite a disappointing second season in which Liverpool finished fifth, Slot was expected to stay on. That’s why the 47-year-old felt blindsided by the decision, Mirror Football understands, as owners Fenway Sports Group opted to pull the trigger following an end-of-season inquest.
Now Iraola is in line to replace him, having impressed across three years at Bournemouth. The Spanish tactician is available thanks to his contract with the Cherries expiring next month and he’s now set for a reunion with former Bournemouth chief Richard Hughes.
Scroll down as Mirror Football brings you all of the latest updates.
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Away from the managerial search, ex-Liverpool star James Milner has announced his reitrement aged 40.
Nathan RidleyToday08:53 BST
Bournemouth are known for their excellent recruitment, so will that translate via Andoni Iraola?
Eli Junior Kroupi has been a sensation on the south coast and Liverpool are looking to bolster their forward line.
There’s also Rayan, who’d suit the Reds’ need for a new winger following Mo Salah’s exit.
(Image: Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
Liverpool have confirmed that Ibrahima Konate will leave the club upon the expiry of his contract.
Konate had been in talks to extend his stay on Merseyside, but will leave after a breakdown in those talks.
The club said in a statement: “Konate will depart with our gratitude and appreciation for the contribution he made and everyone at the club wishes him the best for the future.”
(Image: Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Liverpool-linked Pierre Sage has emerged as a candidate for Crystal Palace, who are also looking for a new manager.
Palace initially wanted Andoni Iraola but have fallen behind the Reds in the race for his services.
The Conference League winners have turned to Sage, 47, who’s done an outstanding job at Lens, winning this season’s French Cup.
According to talkSPORT, Palace are exploring a move for the French boss.
(Image: Ibrahim Ezzat/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Arne Slot has penned a classy letter to Liverpool’s supporters following his sacking.
The Dutchman reflected on the highs of last year’s Premier League title win, their struggles this season, and the tragic death of Diogo Jota.
(Image: PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
Hello and welcome to Monday’s live blog.
We’ll be with you throughout the day with the latest updates from Liverpool’s search for a new manager.
Let’s go.
Nathan Ridley31st May22:22 BST
Thanks for following along.
It seems as though Andoni Iraola is the man for Liverpool, with talks going ahead in the coming week.
Watch this space.
Felix Keith31st May21:44 BST
Mo Salah, Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate are all leaving Liverpool this summer.
The club splashed over £400million on new recruits last summer, only to finish fifth in the Premier League, so a lot of work is needed this off-season.
Sporting director Richard Hughes is the man who will shoulder a lot of that burden, alongside whoever is appointed as the new manager. If that is Andoni Iraola then it will be interesting, because the Spaniard didn’t have much involvement at all in transfers at Bournemouth. He was a training ground coach.
(Image: Robin Jones/Getty Images)
Liverpool want to get a new manager in post before the World Cup kicks off on June 11.
The players are now away on holiday, although many will soon be joining up with their national teams for the World Cup.
England fly out to Florida tomorrow for a pre-tournament training camp, although Liverpool don’t have any players involved.
Felix Keith31st May19:55 BST
Liverpool chiefs Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes did not consult senior players before firing Arne Slot, The Times reports.
Slot was sacked after an end-of-season review. Liverpool finished fifth in the Premier League and lost 19 games across all competitions. A change of direction was deemed to be needed, but the likes of Virgil van Dijk weren’t spoken to first.
Virgil van Dijk with Arne Slot after Liverpool were dumped out of the FA Cup.
Luis Enrique had been mentioned as a possible target for Liverpool, but the club are understood to not be pursuing the Spaniard because he is expected to stay at Paris Saint-Germain.
He has just won a second consecutive Champions League title and is happy in the French capital.
(Image: MDI/Shutterstock)
Andoni Iraola appears extremely likely to become the next Liverpool manager.
Richard Hughes was the man who, along with Michael Edwards, made the call to sack Arne Slot. And he knows Iraola well, having been key to him arriving at Bournemouth three seasons ago after some success at Rayo Vallecano.
Iraola had been courted by Bayer Leverkusen and Crystal Palace but is understood to be keen on Liverpool. Now official talks have begun, and barring any unexpected twists, he will succeed Slot.
Felix Keith31st May17:32 BST
Wow, big news away from the club’s search for a new manager with confirmation Ibrahima Konate will leave the club.
It had been reported over the weekend that talks over a new contract had stalled and that the France defender would depart as a free agent.
And Liverpool have now released a statement confirming Konate’s time at Anfield has come to an end.
Ibrahima Konate of Liverpool(Image: Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Andoni Iraola is already proving a very popular choice among fans to replace Arne Slot at Liverpool.
But should the Reds look overseas instead?
Sebastian Hoeness is another name who has been touted for the job alongside Iraola. And Stuttgart’s striker, Ermedin Demirovic, believes the 44-year-old is the best coach in the world.
Read the full story here!
Sebastian Hoeness has done a great job at Stuttgart(Image: Jürgen Fromme/Getty Images)
It seems as though we may discover Liverpool’s next head coach sooner rather than later.
That’s because The Guardian are reporting the Reds want their search for Arne Slot’s successor wrapped up before the World Cup kicks off next week.
Andoni Iraola is the frontrunner to fill the Anfield vacancy after deciding to leave Bournemouth and will hold talks with Liverpool this week.
(Image: Maynard Manyowa/Getty Images)
Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has expressed confidence that Lus Enrique will remain the club’s manager.
Enrique has been touted for a Premier League job and there is now a high-profile vacancy at Anfield.
But Al-Khelaifi didn’t sound like a man concerned about losing his manager as he celebrated a second straight Champions League triumph.
“He’s the best coach, I cannot answer the question, but I’m really confident, and it’s all about the project,” Al-Khelaifi told TNT Sports. “And he is the best one for the project.”
PSG manager Luis Enrique celebrates victory with president Nasser Al-Khelaifi(Image: Marvin Ibo Guengoer – GES Sportfoto/Getty Images)
Arne Slot has emerged as a frontrunner to take charge at AC Milan following his exit from Liverpool.
According to the Daily Mail, the Dutchman is already being considered as a leading candidate for the Milan job.
Il Rossoneri are hunting for a replacement for Massimiliano Allegri after dismissing the Italian following their 2-1 defeat to Cagliari last Sunday – a result that cost the club their place in next season’s Champions League.
Arne Slot(Image: Paul Ellis/AFP)
Former Liverpool striker Stan Collymore has admitted he is “very excited” that Andoni Iraola is the outright favourite to replace Arne Slot as he threw his weight behind the coach getting the job.
“Very excited if Iraola gets the Liverpool job,” Collymore, who made 81 appearances for the Reds, said on X. “Excellent coach with a defined style but not stubborn enough to stick with it if it doesn’t work.
“Great communicator so will deal with media honestly and with a bonhomie that the local journos will like and he makes average players good, good players great so plenty of positivity to work with.
“Big thumbs up here. Very good coach. Played at an excellent Athletic Club with their own unique expectations too so no stranger to local and intense expectations. Good luck Mister!”
(Image: Robin Jones – AFC Bournemouth/AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images)
Nathan Ridley31st May14:08 BST
Another candidate for the Liverpool job is Sebastian Hoeness.
The Stuttgart manager, who’s the new nephew of ex-Bayern Munich player and former president Uli Hoeness, has done an excellent job with the Bundesliga club.
In just over three years in charge, Hoeness has taken Stuttgart from a relegation play-off to being Champions League regulars.
They’ve also won the DFB Pokal under the 44-year-old and reached the final this season.
His football is akin to Jurgen Klopp’s ‘heavy metal’ that many fans are crying out for.
Sebastian Hoeness is seen by some bookies as the second favourite for the job(Image: SNS Group)
Manchester City star Rayan Cherki hailed Liverpool-linked head coach Pierre Sage as a ‘genius’ as the Reds hunt for a replacement for Arne Slot.
Current RC Lens boss Sage, whom Cherki knows from his time at Olympique Lyonnais, is reportedly among those on that shortlist, alongside Andoni Iraola and Sebastian Hoeness.
The 47-year-old Frenchman steered Lens to their first-ever Coupe de France trophy and secured a runners-up finish in Ligue 1, earning a Champions League berth.
(Image: Getty Images)
Jamie Carragher has admitted he was surprised at the timing of Liverpool’s decision to sack Arne Slot and given his verdict on Andoni Iraola potentially taking over.
The former defender believes there is blame to be issued across the Reds’ hierarchy and playing squad following their poor Premier League title defence.
He told Sky Sports: “I was surprised, a lot that has been coming out of the club was that the manager was saying.
“Arne Slot was saying that in his press conferences, he was close to appointing a coach, so there’s no way the club has sanctioned that if he thought he wasn’t going to be in charge.
I think it’s sudden, caught everyone off guard including Arne Slot.”
(Image: Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Just a year on from winning the Premier League, Arne Slot has been ousted by Liverpool.
While not an entirely shocking outcome considering the Reds’ form this season, it does mean the club are in for an even bigger summer than first thought.
If Iraola does become Liverpool’s 23rd manager in their storied history, he’s going to have to make some major decisions.
From replacing star names to building a squad capable of challenging on several fronts while reinstating an identity on the pitch, we take a look at what the Reds’ potential next manager needs to do.
(Image: Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)
Virgil van Dijk has become the first Liverpool player to post on social media since Arne Slot was sacked.
“We’ll never forget winning the Premier League in our first season together,” Van Dijk wrote on Instagram.
“Thank you, Trainer, and best of luck to you and your family in the future.”
Nathan Ridley31st May09:54 BST
Arne Slot has emerged as a frontrunner to take charge at AC Milan following his exit from Liverpool.
According to the Daily Mail, the Dutchman is already being considered as a leading candidate for the Milan job.
Il Rossoneri are hunting for a replacement for Massimiliano Allegri after dismissing the Italian following their 2-1 defeat to Cagliari last Sunday – a result that cost the club their place in next season’s Champions League.
(Image: Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Jamie Carragher has spoken to Sky Sports this morning and given his reaction to Liverpool sacking Arne Slot.
“I was surprised, a lot that has been coming out of the club was that the manager was saying. Arne Slot was saying that in his press conferences, he was close to appointing a coach, so there’s no way the club has sanctioned that if he thought he wasn’t going to be in charge. I think it’s sudden, caught everyone off guard including Arne Slot.”There is no doubt that he lost supporters, I think that was harsh on the back of what happened 12 months before. Supporter-base have a huge influence, when you talk about player power, that can’t have helped with Salah. “I’m not happy with that, I don’t ever want Liverpool Football Club to have player power to speak out about a manager who won the Premier League. What manager does it help when a star player comes out publicly criticising the manager, that shouldn’t happen no matter the situation. “Maybe it’s forced the clubs’ hand but the performances have been poor, my fear was that Liverpool might have a situation where Man United have been where they have a manager they’re unsure about, stick with him in the summer and end up changing it two months later, you almost wasting a year. “I was torn on Arne Slot, I must say, I would’ve backed any decision and I can see both sides of the argument but an elite football manager finds a way to fix Liverpool to make it better but he wasn’t helped with recruitment, have anyone of them done well? “You could put that on the manager, does he need to get more out of them? Should them players have done more? Yes. Should the people above him give him a better squad? Yes. There’s a lot of people to point fingers at.”
Nathan Ridley31st May09:09 BST
Liverpool have been accused of abandoning their culture following the sacking of Arne Slot. The Dutchman was dismissed on Saturday, just 12 months after guiding the Reds to Premier League glory.
Slot paid the price for a woeful title defence, which saw Liverpool finish fifth and scrape into the Champions League on the final day of the season. Andoni Iraola is widely tipped to take the reins after his departure from Bournemouth.
While many Liverpool supporters agree with the decision to part ways with Slot, the Dutch media have been less forgiving.De Telegraaf accused the Reds of “throwing their own culture overboard,” lambasting them for turning into a “hire and fire” club.
(Image: Shaun Brooks – CameraSport via Getty Images)
Arne Slot issued a statement immediately after being sacked by Liverpool.
As quoted by Fabrizio Romano, he said: “It’s been an amazing ride together with Liverpool, I am so grateful that we were able to win the league last season.”
(Image: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Multiple bookmakers have suspended betting on Andoni Iraola becoming the next Liverpool manager.
The ex-Bourmemouth boss is the clear frontrunner to succeed Arne Slot.
According to Betfair, Iraola was as short as 1/5 before the market was suspended.
A spokesperson commented: “The appointment of reported long-time target Andoni Iraola at Liverpool may be edging closer as betting has been suspended on the 43-year-old to replace Arne Slot at Anfield after Slot’s exit was confirmed on Saturday.
“This comes after a flurry of bets with Iraola having previously been 1/5 to take charge.”
(Image: Shaun Brooks – CameraSport via Getty Images)
Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has expressed confidence that Lus Enrique will remain the club’s manager, on the same day that the Liverpool job became available.
“He’s the best coach, I cannot answer the question, but I’m really confident, and it’s all about the project,” Al-Khelaifi told TNT Sports. “And he is the best one for the project.”
PSG manager Luis Enrique celebrates victory with president Nasser Al-Khelaifi(Image: Marvin Ibo Guengoer – GES Sportfoto/Getty Images)