Andoni Iraola will join Liverpool on a two-year contract after striking a verbal agreement to become the Reds’ new head coach, it has been claimed.
The outgoing Bournemouth manager swiftly emerged as the overwhelming favourite to succeed Arne Slot after the Dutchman was sacked by Liverpool on Saturday. And it now appears as though confirmation of Iraola’s appointment is imminent following further talks between the 43-year-old and the former Premier League champions.
The Athletic report that Iraola is expected to sign a two-year contract with Liverpool: the same length of time both of his previous Bournemouth deals ran for.
Confirmation of Iraola’s appointment is expected before the end of the week if the process to install him continues to run smoothly with the Spaniard keen on bringing his assistant at Bournemouth, Tommy Elphick, to Anfield.
Iraola also wants Pablo de la Torre, Shaun Cooper and Tom Webber to be part of his backroom team at Liverpool, who fell well below expectations in the Premier League this season, finishing fifth.
The former Rayo Vallecano boss leaves Bournemouth after guiding them to their highest ever league finish of sixth, guaranteeing Europa League football in the process.
Though the prospect of Iraola taking at Anfield is an exciting one given his accomplishments at Bournemouth, Jamie Carragher has doubled down on comments he previously made suggesting the former Cherries boss has made a mistake in quitting the south coast outfit.
“We watch Iraola every week, no one can say you don’t love watching Bournemouth play,” Carragher said on The Overlap’s Fan Debate.
View 2 ImagesIraola is poised to replace Arne Slot at Anfield(Image: Getty Images)
“If Bournemouth are on the TV, you watch them. You think we’re going to watch a good game.
“I said this last season, we were talking about the Chelsea manager and it was on a Monday Night Football. We were looking at Chelsea’s options and Iraola was there, and I actually made the point – so I can’t go back on it – I said I think Iraola is making a mistake leaving Bournemouth.
“Because the next thing he needs to prove is he can manage a European season. What he asks of his players physically, and when you’re in Europe, you’ve got to rotate, so all of these things come into it.
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“I thought that would be the next step for him, just to prove he could still produce the goods in a European season and then he’d get his move to his next club.”
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