Andoni Iraola has officially thrown his hat into the ring for the Liverpool hot seat. The former Bournemouth boss has named the Reds as one of just two clubs he wants to manage next, capitalising on a sudden breakdown in contract talks with Italian giants AC Milan.
The news was reported by Sky Sports this morning.
🚨 BREAKING: Andoni Iraola's talks with AC Milan are not progressing.
It is understood Iraola is interested in joining Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen this summer. pic.twitter.com/mlxthfI00A
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) May 28, 2026
And though Liverpool appear determined to stick with Slot, Sky claim that the former Athletic Bilbao midfielder also feels he could be a good fit at Anfield.
“We’ve got an update on the future of Andoni Iraola,” reporter Tom White revealed on Thursday morning.
“We have been reporting that he’s in talks with AC Milan, which is true, however we have just been told that those talks are not really progressing. Does that give Crystal Palace some hope that Andoni Iraola might go to Selhurst Park? Well, we’re told no. He seems no more likely to join Crystal Palace either.”
“Talks with AC Milan are not progressing, but that means nothing in terms of the Crystal Palace situation.
“We are told that really he doesn’t want to leave Bournemouth who are sixth to go to Crystal Palace who are 15th, despite winning that trophy last night,” White adds.
“A little bit more to this as well, we’re told the clubs that Andoni Iraola is interested in going to are Bayer Leverkusen and Liverpool, but there’s no vacancy at Liverpool because Arne Slot is staying.”
Reports have also come from the BBC that Iraola has been approached as a potential Oliver Glasner replacement at Crystal Palace.
Crystal Palace expect formal decision from Andoni Iraola in coming days after making proposal to Spaniard to become new head coach. Frank Lampard an option if Iraola declines. https://t.co/XbEMAYsp41
— Sami Mokbel (@SamiMokbel_BBC) May 28, 2026
Bournemouth and an incredible 2025/26
Iraola announced in April that he would be leaving Bournemouth at the end of the season, and it was revealed shortly after that Marco Rose would be coming into the club.
The Spaniard joined Bournemouth in 2023 and has helped them grow steadily. He joined the club after they finished 15th and, over the course of the season, has brought them to their best-ever league finish this year.
Hopes were not high at the start of this season when they sold their solid defence of the previous season. Dean Huijsen went to Real Madrid, and Ilya Zabarnyi moved to PSG. Milos Kerkez had such a strong season that it earned him a move to Liverpool.
After losing the season opener to Liverpool, they went undefeated in the next eight games and hit the heights of second in the league after nine games.
Despite losing their star player, Antoine Semenyo, at the beginning of January, they went undefeated in the last 18 games to rise up to sixth.
A chaotic final day of the season left the Premier League table in a fascinating position, with sixth place ultimately being rewarded with a Europa League spot following Liverpool’s 1-1 draw against Brentford and Aston Villa’s win over Manchester City.
However, the hypothetical scenarios were even more staggering: if Liverpool had managed to leapfrog Villa on the final day, it would have triggered a domino effect resulting in sixth-place Bournemouth miraculously securing Champions League football.
Will Liverpool back Slot?
Slot came into the Premier League with a barnstorming Premier League title win. His second season has been difficult for the Dutch manager, breaking records for all the wrong reasons. A difficult decision will need to be made by the Liverpool board on whether to back or sack Slot.
One of the men in the decision-making chairs will be Richard Hughes, Liverpool’s Sporting Director. Hughes was one of the main figures at Bournemouth who brought Andoni Iraola to the club. He had also just started his role at Liverpool when Slot was appointed.
There are reasons that can be used to justify Liverpool’s underperformance, such as the loss of Diogo Jota and the drop-off in form of key players such as Mohamed Salah. Add in an injury crisis throughout the year and new signings not hitting the ground running, and there is justification for Slot to be given more time.
Xabi Alonso would have seemed like a logical next step, but he has chosen to go to Chelsea. Pierre Sage, Lens manager, has also said that it would be a dream for him to become Liverpool manager at some point in his career.
Andoni Iraola’s managerial future remains a fascinating game of patience. There is a distinct possibility the Spaniard will bide his time and wait for the Liverpool job, particularly with a real chance that the Anfield hot seat could become available early into the new season.
Alternatively, a move to Germany looms large; Bayer Leverkusen are actively hunting for a new manager this summer and represent a massive temptation.
Ultimately, it comes down to geography versus patience. If Iraola is ready for a new challenge outside the Premier League, Germany looks like his next destination. But if he chooses to wait, he could well be the man tasked with succeeding Arne Slot on Merseyside.