Liverpool
Liverpool new manager search begins as Arne Slot exits Anfield
Liverpool move into a fresh chapter of their history after confirming that Arne Slot parted ways with the club with immediate effect following an end-of-season review. The Dutchman guided the Reds to Premier League glory in his debut campaign. Yet, the 2025/26 season brought a trophyless disappointment, with Liverpool finishing fifth in the table and a fanbase growing increasingly frustrated with the direction of the football. The Liverpool new manager hunt now accelerates with genuine urgency, and three strong, credible names sit firmly at the top of the conversation.
Andoni Iraola, the Liverpool new manager front-runner
Departing Bournemouth head coach Andoni Iraola is widely expected to be the front-runner to step into the Anfield dugout. The Basque tactician transformed a modest south-coast club into a legitimate Premier League force through relentless pressing football and exceptional player development. His Bournemouth tenure saw the club reach their highest-ever league finish and earn European football for the first time in their history.
Sporting director Richard Hughes appointed Iraola at Bournemouth and is poised to reunite with the tactician at Anfield, believing he can bring exciting football back to Liverpool in the mould of Jürgen Klopp. He becomes a free agent this summer, eliminating any compensation complications.
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Sebastian Hoeness, the compelling Bundesliga outsider
Sebastian Hoeness guided Stuttgart to a second-place Bundesliga finish in his first full season, their best in 17 years, before delivering DFB-Pokal glory the following campaign. The 43-year-old carries a 56.6% win rate across his time with Stuttgart, and his sides score at an average of 2.15 goals per game, a figure that would delight any Liverpool supporter craving attacking football. His work developing young players mirrors the environment Liverpool thrive in. The Liverpool new manager shortlist keeps his name near the top for good reason, though Stuttgart hold him on contract until 2028 and will fight hard to retain him.
Pierre Sage, the Ligue 1 wildcard with genuine Liverpool ambition
Pierre Sage led Lens to their first-ever Coupe de France triumph this season and finished second in Ligue 1, only six points behind Paris Saint-Germain. Remarkably, he openly declared that managing Liverpool was his dream job, describing the club as his “holy grail.” The Frenchman earned Ligue 1 coach of the year recognition, and Liverpool have placed him on their shortlist as a credible alternative to Iraola. His contract at Lens makes an immediate move complicated, yet his passion for Anfield sets him apart from candidates who treat it as just another vacancy.
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Liverpool should pick Iraola. He arrives free, Premier League-proven, and built for exactly the Liverpool new manager role that this moment demands.