Liverpool are closing in on their new head coach with a verbal agreement reached with Andoni Iraola according to reports
Andoni Iraola
Andoni Iraola is closing in on becoming Liverpool's next manager(Image: Getty Images)
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Liverpool have reportedly reached a verbal agreement with former Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola to become their new head coach. The Reds' search for Arne Slot's successor looks set to come to a close as they edge nearer to appointing the Spaniard.
The 43-year-old quickly emerged as the favourite to succeed the Premier League-winning tactician, who was sacked on Saturday after Liverpool limped to a fifth-place finish in their title defence. Formal talks were initiated on Tuesday and the negotiations appear to be accelerating at a rapid rate.
According to The Athletic, Iraola will become the new head coach and is expected to sign a two-year deal. Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes brought the Spaniard, who counts Athletic Bilbao on his CV from his playing career, to Bournemouth and looks set to reunite with the tactician.
Iraola is said to want to be joined on Merseyside by Bournemouth coaches Pablo de la Torre, Tommy Elphick, Shaun Cooper and Tom Webber.
The ECHO spoke to Bournemouth Echo's Alexander Smith, who has been covering the Cherries for two seasons, on the incoming Liverpool head coach....
Why is he so in-demand?
"Well, I think his record with Bournemouth does the talking really. When he joined, it obviously caused a bit of shock in the football world that Gary O'Neil was being sacked so soon after keeping the side in the Premier League. Then Iraola came in and there's been an improvement every season, 12th, then 9th, and 6th and a first European qualification this season.
"So I think that sort of says a lot about his ability as a coach to get a team like Bournemouth into Europe and regularly punching above their weight and fighting the top teams and getting good results throughout the season.
"I think that's a big reason why he's left while his stock is probably as high as it's been and that has obviously caused an awful lot of interest."
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Any surprise he’s so coveted?
"I don't think so. I think it was a matter of time that he would move on and move up in the footballing world. He's a tremendous coach and he would do well anywhere.
"I think the questions that I've seen a number of Liverpool fans have and a number of people have is around his ability to step his style up into a team of bigger stature, like Liverpool, and whether it will work with Wednesday, Saturday games and whether that will translate.
"But I think with a squad with, maybe, more quality on paper, I think he'll be able to do his work well and make an impact."
How much of the success of last season was down to the manager after the exodus of players?
"I think the main thing is he knows his system, the players know his system and when there are departures, they know what's needed to fill in and I think he's made a couple of tactical tweaks this season but in the main, it's the same sort of identity of the squad.
"The recruitment team at Bournemouth did a tremendous job last summer in replacing the players that departed. Milos Kerkez headed to Liverpool, Adrien Truffert came in and Truffert has probably been Bournemouth's signing of the season and played every game.
"I think they've recruited really well here, Iraola has stayed true to his principles and made sure that the team is able to adapt and kick on even when losing those high-profile players."
Was there any point while covering Bournemouth you thought, ‘this manager is special?’
"For much of the time that I've done it, it's been pretty clear just how good he is. Even last season, they were up toward the European places in February and March and again, had a slightly iffy run of form and just finished just outside the European places, but still got a top 10 and a record points finish.
"Then this season, picking up results where really a team like Bournemouth has no right, like wins against Liverpool and the win against Arsenal at the Emirates - that was a truly impressive performance.
"I think that probably sticks out in my mind of performances this season as the best of them. Just how comfortable and how confident they were against Arsenal, who were obviously the league leaders at the time, going for the title race.
"They turned up, were superb at the Emirates and fully deserved the win. It absolutely wasn't a smash and grab or anything. I think games like that just show just how good Iraola is and just what he can bring to the league and potentially to Liverpool. " What is he like after dealing with him?
"He's a really lovely guy. He's very honest, but sometimes he can sort of closely guard the truth in some ways. So he won't straight up come out and say 'X player is not available for tomorrow' and then suddenly the player will turn up in the squad. He won't be like that but sometimes he can choose his wording carefully.
"He's a very intelligent man, he thinks carefully about his answers andis very personable. We've all got on well with him and worked well with him in his time in Bournemouth and I think it's quite easy to warm to him so hopefully that will be the case up in Liverpool as well."Are you confident he can make the step up to a bigger club?
"I think the key for Liverpool will be making sure that they've got a little bit of depth beyond the sort of starting team, just so that when they get into that December, January, February run, they have more bodies to call on.
"But I think his style would translate brilliantly. It'll potentially be going back to more of the sort of heavy metal football of Jurgen Klopp and I know how much Liverpool fans love that.
"I think if they enjoyed that then they'll enjoy Iraola's style of football, as well, the sort of aggression, the high press, the energy and the intensity. I think it'll go down really well at Anfield."
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