The Reds make a bold move: Andoni Iraola is set to replace Arne Slot at Liverpool

Andoni Iraola is set to join Liverpool on a two-year contract. (Image credits – CommonsWikipedia, Licence Details)

Liverpool have reached an agreement with former Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola, who will take over as manager, succeeding Arne Slot, who was fired after a disappointing season. Iraola left Bournemouth at the end of the season to pursue new opportunities in his career, and he was also the leading candidate to succeed Massimiliano Allegri at AC Milan. 

However, the Spaniard is now set to join Liverpool on a two-year contract. Before joining the Cherries, he managed AEK Larnaca in Cyprus, as well as Mirandés and Rayo Vallecano in Spain.

According to reports, the club will make an official announcement about Iraola this week ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The 43-year-old will bring his two assistants from Bournemouth, Tommy Elphick and Shaun Cooper, to Anfield as part of his coaching team. Richard Hughes, Liverpool's sporting director, pushed for Iraola's signing following Slot's dismissal, and he previously worked with the Spaniard at Bournemouth. 

Since the 43-year-old's style of play is the closest to Klopp's that the Premier League has seen recently, the Reds favoured it. Bournemouth qualified for the Europa League for the first time in club history under Iraola, and they have been a force to be reckoned with over the last two seasons.

This is seen as an ambitious move by Liverpool, who fired Arne Slot just a year after leading them to a decisive Premier League victory. Last season, the Reds lacked a tactical identity and appeared to be predictable, prompting the board's ambitious move. The goal is clear: the Reds want to compete for the league title every season, and even a second-place finish will be considered a disappointment.

How is Andoni Iraola the perfect candidate to succeed Arne Slot at Liverpool?

Liverpool under Arne Slot appeared to be out of ideas last season, with no clear direction. (Image credits – Heute; licence details) 

Andoni Iraola's official announcement as Liverpool's next manager is imminent, and he is fully prepared to succeed Arne Slot. It will be a huge challenge for the Spaniard, as it is never easy to replace someone who won the Premier League only a year ago, and Slot became a victim of the standards he set for himself. The Reds' board believes the team should be more aggressive and Klopp-like, which led them to select Iraola.

Iraola is a young coach who has built a reputation for his aggressive and attacking style of football. He is widely regarded as one of Spain's most promising tacticians right now. At Bournemouth, his team used high-intensity pressing for 90 minutes and aggressive counter-pressing after losing possession, backed up by a relentless work rate. The Cherries were also ruthless in transition, but their defensive strategy was risky, and they conceded goals on a regular basis.

When Iraola joined Bournemouth in 2023, they were a mid-table team fighting for relegation. He is leaving after three years, having transformed them into one of the Premier League's most difficult opponents, consistently outpacing and outsmarting technically superior squads. Bournemouth qualified for Europe for the first time in their history despite losing several players; the credit goes solely to their manager.

Iraola's style of football is the closest Liverpool has come to Klopp's 'heavy metal' football, which saw them dominate the Premier League and Champions League for nearly a decade. Liverpool became more possession-based and controlled in their pressing under Arne Slot, resulting in a poor second season. However, under Iraola, we can expect the Reds to return to their "heavy metal" style of football, more directly.

Under Iraola, Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboslai, and Ryan Gravenberch will thrive in a system that emphasises quick ball possession and transitional attacks. If the Reds won more duels higher up the pitch, they would become more aggressive and dangerous without the ball. Liverpool's chances up front would also improve against opponents who play a high line, as Iraola prefers his team to attack space quickly and vertically rather than slowly circulating the ball.

The 43-year-old's greatest strength is in developing young players. At Rayo Vallecano and Bournemouth, he didn't have enough money to improve the squad with big signings, but he did improve the existing young players and brought out the best. Liverpool, which is slowly transitioning to a younger squad, could benefit greatly from this. 

Yes, Iraola has never managed a big club before; he has never felt the pressure of managing a big club, and he has never dealt with big egos, so the transition from Bournemouth to Liverpool is massive. His style of football also demands a massive work rate, and with the Reds competing in Europe, managing his high-intensity football with an intense schedule is difficult as well.

Another challenge that Iraola may face is that teams against Liverpool tend to sit back and defend, making it difficult to find space between the lines. Therefore, he must adapt so that his team can consistently break down teams which play a low block.

Despite these valid concerns, appointing Iraola to succeed Slot makes sense. He previously worked with the club's sporting director, which would help the club recruit new players. Most importantly, he will restore high-intensity football to Anfield, which Klopp revolutionised when he joined the club. Under Slot, football had become too passive, and that will undoubtedly change.

This is not the safest decision, as we have seen Graham Potter fail at Chelsea after doing an excellent job at Brighton, but it is the ideal appointment, as Iraola is capable of establishing one of Liverpool's most exciting eras in the future, making this a high-risk, high-reward strategy.

Is Andoni Iraola the right man to help Liverpool bounce back?

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• 0%Yes, perfect fit
• 0%Good pick, but risky
• 0%Liverpool should have gone for Xabi Alonso
• 0%Not a good choice