Andoni Iraola is the clear favourite to replace Arne Slot as the new Liverpool manager, and the Spaniard will need to make several changes to the starting XI
Fasika Zelealem Senior Sports Reporter
16:45, 01 Jun 2026Updated 16:45, 01 Jun 2026
Andoni Iraola the head coach / manager of Bournemouth after the Premier League match against Manchester City
Andoni Iraola is the frontrunner to take over from Arne Slot at Liverpool(Image: Catherine Ivill - AMA, Getty Images)
Andoni Iraola is the overwhelming favorite to replace Arne Slot at Liverpool as the club prepares for a significant overhaul. The Dutchman was dismissed on Saturday following a wretched second campaign at Anfield.
The outgoing Bournemouth manager, aged 43, is the frontrunner to take charge at Anfield. Iraola's high-intensity, attacking approach represents a marked departure from the possession-dominated style that Slot instilled at Liverpool.
The Dutchman typically deployed a 4-3-3 formation, whereas Iraola favors a 4-2-3-1 system — or occasionally a 4-4-2 structure — with an emphasis on pressing high up the pitch and swiftly recovering possession, a hallmark of Jurgen Klopp's gegenpressing philosophy.
With Liverpool anticipated to bring in several new faces this summer, Mirror Football examined the ideal starting XI that Iraola would look to field at the start of his Liverpool tenure next season.
Goalkeeper
Uncertainty surrounding Alisson Becker's future has been rife, but should he remain at Anfield, he will undoubtedly retain his position as Liverpool's first-choice goalkeeper under Iraola. The 33-year-old has been linked with a switch to Juventus but remains under contract with the Reds until the summer of 2027.
The Brazilian managed only 26 league outings this campaign due to injury, with Giorgi Mamardashvili and Freddie Woodman standing in during his absence. Yet when available, he continues to rank amongst the globe's finest goalkeepers, and with the departures of Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson, his leadership qualities will prove essential.
Jeremy Jacquet of Rennes
Liverpool are set to welcome two new players at the start of the summer transfer window - including Jeremy Jacquet(Image: Neal Simpson/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)
Defense
Iraola has inherited immediate challenges even before his official confirmation, following Ibrahima Konaté's departure. The Frenchman's exit creates a substantial void that could be addressed through the transfer market, though it will probably be filled by the arriving Jeremy Jacquet.
A £55 million ($74 million) agreement to secure the highly-regarded Rennes player was finalized in February, and he may well enjoy a rapid introduction to his Liverpool career by featuring in Iraola's opening match. Should he start, he will naturally partner Virgil van Dijk.
The Reds skipper will be 35 by the season's curtain-raiser but has achieved remarkable levels in his conditioning and fitness, becoming the oldest player in Premier League history to complete every minute of a campaign.
Van Dijk's influence both on and off the field will be fundamentally important during the Reds' transition and ambition to reclaim title-challenging status. The Dutchman's understanding with Andy Robertson proved instrumental in their achievements, and he'll need to keep nurturing his partnership with Milos Kerkez at left-back. The 22-year-old had a difficult beginning to his Liverpool career but gradually developed in his role as the season progressed. Reuniting with his former Bournemouth manager can only help the Hungary international as he aims to emulate Robertson.
Virgil van Dijk
Virgil van Dijk will still play a key role(Image: AP Photo/Dave Shopland)
Uncertainty remains over who will start at right-back in Liverpool's opening match of the season. Conor Bradley is still sidelined with a knee injury, while Jeremie Frimpong has proved to be better suited to an attacking position.
This could prompt Iraola to explore the market, with Inter Milan's Denzel Dumfries representing a realistic option. The 30-year-old was linked with a switch to Anfield under Slot and would offer defensive solidity in the role while also possessing an eye for goal, having scored five in 28 appearances this season.
According to reports in Italy, the Reds have floated the idea of securing the Dutch international in a swap deal that would see Curtis Jones move in the opposite direction. The Liverpool midfielder is entering the final 12 months of his contract and was linked with a transfer to Milan in January.
Morgan Rogers and Ryan Gravenberch
Ryan Gravenberch will likely be moved into a deeper role(Image: Jan Kruger/Getty Images)
Midfield
Liverpool's shortage of presence in midfield this season was significant and contributed substantially to their dramatic decline in form. With Iraola favoring a two-man midfield, Alexis Mac Allister is left out as the Spaniard would prefer the physicality and work rate that both Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai offer. Gravenberch was granted greater freedom to push forward under Slot this season and, while he improved his goal and assist tally, his reduced defensive duties left Liverpool exposed at the back.
The Dutchman may be called upon to reprise his controlling role from his debut season under Slot, with Szoboszlai continuing as the box-to-box dynamo in which he thrives. The 25-year-old openly expressed his dissatisfaction at being deployed at right-back on occasion this season, so a more settled central midfield berth would certainly suit him.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - MAY 09: Alexander Isak of Liverpool looks on while sitting on the substitutes bench prior to the Premier League match between Liverpool and Chelsea at Anfield on May 09, 2026 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
Bigger things are expected from Alexander Isak next season(Image: Gareth Copley, Getty Images)
Attack
Iraola's four-pronged attacking system functioned brilliantly at Bournemouth, with Liverpool supporters hoping he can replicate those results at Anfield — despite the departure of Mohamed Salah. Replacing the Egyptian talisman will undoubtedly prove the most challenging task for the Spaniard this summer, with Yan Diomande emerging as the leading candidate at £87M ($117M).
Comfortable on either flank, the Ivorian is expected to be deployed on the right wing, with Rio Ngumoha pushing to displace Cody Gakpo on the opposite side. The 17-year-old enjoyed a breakthrough campaign with the Reds, featuring in 29 matches across all competitions and netting twice.
Ngumoha's electrifying pace and unpredictability in possession saw him pose a greater threat out wide than his Dutch counterpart, who struggled considerably when thrust into the role of first-choice attacker. Iraola primarily deployed Eli Junior Kroupi as the attacking midfielder behind Evanilson, with Florian Wirtz potentially standing to benefit enormously from the Spaniard's system. Able to operate on the left flank, the freedom afforded to Bournemouth's attackers could enable the German to establish himself amongst the league's elite players.
Yan Diomande of RB Leipzig in action during the Bundesliga match
Yan Diomande has been heavily linked with a transfer to Liverpool(Image: Getty Images)
The chance to exploit half-spaces, link up with teammates in the final third, and make delayed runs into the box could prove exactly what Wirtz required following a disappointing maiden season at Anfield.
Hugo Ekitike might well have secured a starting berth in Iraola's first match, given his pressing capabilities from the front, but with his ACL injury set to sideline him for the season's opening half, Alexander Isak steps up.
The Swede suffered a disastrous debut campaign on Merseyside, managing just four goals in 22 appearances. His maiden World Cup awaits this month as he hopes to rediscover the form that prompted the Reds to pay a British record £125million fee last September.
While the 26-year-old may not excel at spearheading the press, his finishing prowess cannot be overlooked in a side losing the Premier League's greatest goal-scoring winger in history.
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Dream Liverpool starting XI
Alisson; Dumfries, Jacquet, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Szoboszlai; Diomande, Wirtz, Ngumoha; Isak.