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Liverpool tried to sign Andoni Iraola and Mo Salah in the same transfer window

Andoni Iraola is Liverpool’s new head coach, and they also reportedly made an effort to sign him during his playing days.

The 43-year-old has replaced Arne Slot in the Anfield dugout, arriving as an exciting appointment after inspiring Bournemouth to a sixth-place finish in the Premier League.

Iraola is one of the most highly-rated young managers in the game, but he also enjoyed a good playing career, representing Athletic Bilbao for 12 years and winning seven caps for Spain.

According to the Times‘ Jonathan Northcroft, the Spaniard was actually a target for Liverpool in late 2013, before the January transfer window opened.

File photo dated 31-01-2026 of Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola is set to be unveiled as Liverpoolís new head coach after flying into Merseyside to complete the final details on a deal to succeed Arne Slot. Issue date: Thursday 4th June, 2026.

The Reds were looking for an “experienced right-back to augment a squad that was developing nicely under Brendan Rodgers,” with 31-year-old Iraola considered an option.

It is claimed that Michael Edwards and Julian Ward made contact with Iraola’s representatives over a move and watched him in action against Malaga.

He opted against signing for Liverpool, however, instead extending his stay at Bilbao and making his final appearance against Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final in 2015.

In classy fashion, Iraola wrote a “humble, generous and self-deprecating” letter to the Reds explaining his decision, thanking them for their interest and joking that he was “surprised” they wanted him after watching him in action.

Mo Salah & Andoni Iraola could have been Liverpool teammates

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Sunday, May 24, 2026: Liverpool's Mohamed Salah applauds the Anfield crowd for one final time during the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Brentford FC at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Intriguingly, Iraola wasn’t Liverpool’s only rumoured target at that time, with a certain Mohamed Salah also being eyed up.

Then 21, the Egyptian was at FC Basel, but a report from King Fut stated that he was “99 percent” certain to join the Reds in January.

Instead, Salah joined Chelsea that month, and actually played in Liverpool’s infamous 2-0 defeat to the Blues when Steven Gerrard‘s slip proved so costly.

It took another three years for him to become a Reds player, arriving from Fiorentina for £34.3 million in 2017 after a failed spell at Stamford Bridge.

Can Andoni Iraola find the perfect Mo Salah replacement?

Andoni Iraola new manager of Liverpool Football Club at Anfield on June 04, 2026 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Unfortunately, Iraola and Salah proved to be strangers in the night, with the former joining Liverpool just as the latter had departed.

Iraola now has the unenviable task of finding a successor to the 33-year-old, which is bordering on impossible, given his legendary status.

But RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande continues to stand out as the most likely option, with the teenage winger a player of vast potential.

Rio Ngumoha showed that he can thrive on Salah’s right wing on Saturday night, winning Man of the Match for England on his debut against New Zealand, but a new signing there remains a must.

Football – UEFA Youth League – League Phase – Liverpool FC Under-19’s v Bayer Leverkusen Under-19’s

Salah, Alisson, Fabinho 06.06.2026 screenshot

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