Liverpool FC sacked their manager, Arne Slot, over the weekend, but the efforts to replace him are well underway already. Andoni Iraola, who recently departed AFC Bournemouth, is far and away the leading candidate. In fact, he might actually be the only true contender at this point. Negotiations have already begun, and they could reach the “advanced talks” stage quite quickly.
Talks between Andoni Iraola and Liverpool are already underway and are expected to move quickly.🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/j7YX66AOht
— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) June 1, 2026
You can see the Tweet from football insider Ben Jacobs above. Sky Sports has this story as well. Meanwhile Fabrizio Romano has published a post claiming that this is going to happen- a decision is already made and Iraola will get the gig.
Obviously, we won’t get an official announcement for at least a day or two though, as the paperwork still needs to be completed and finalized.
🚨💣 Andoni Iraola, set to become the next Liverpool manager as revealed earlier today!
The negotiations will move forward quickly to get it done with formal steps but #LFC decision made…
…Iraola will be the next manager. 🛑🔜 pic.twitter.com/r4K1xRnxDP
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 30, 2026
Iraola, 43, just led the south coast club to their first ever UEFA competition berth, having secured a Europa League slot for next season, after having finished sixth in the league. The Cherries finished the season with an 18 game undefeated streak, and this surge left them just three points behind the Merseyside club for the final UCL slot.
So while Iraola going to Liverpool would be a big step up for him in terms of club size and profile (and a well-earned upgrade too), it would actually only be one spot above the table.
And given that Andoni Iraola has professional history with members of the Liverpool front office, this move makes logical sense on numerous levels.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.