Andoni Iraola is the favourite to be named as the next Liverpool manager, but they are not the only club to be linked with the Basque manager
Head Coach Andoni Iraola of Bournemouth in his last game in charge during the Premier League match between Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth at City Ground on May 24, 2026 in Nottingham, England
Andoni Iraola is a man in demand this summer(Image: 2026 Robin Jones - AFC Bournemouth)
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Liverpool may have to compete with three other clubs if they are to appoint Andoni Iraola. The Merseysiders have announced the sacking of Arne Slot after two seasons at the club and the Spaniard is frontrunner to take over.
Iraola, who left Bournemouth after guiding them into the Europa League for the first time in their history, has been tipped to replace Slot on the red side of Merseyside. However, the Reds do not have a clear run at it.
Crystal Palace, Bayer Leverkusen and AC Milan have also been linked with the 43-year-old and are said to have held talks with him already. Liverpool will likely have to jostle with those three if they are to bring Iraola to Anfield.
According to the Daily Mail, Iraola is the front-runner for the Liverpool job, and he is well aware of the club's admiration for him. It's also been claimed Palace have offered Iraola the position at Selhurst Park and are hoping for a response from him by the end of the weekend, which is effectively a 24-hour deadline for the Spaniard.
Iraola is also understood to have held talks with AC Milan, who recently sacked Massimiliano Allegri, and Bayer Leverkusen, who parted with Erik ten Hag last summer and have had ex-Denmark manager Kasper Hjulmand in situ since.
In his final days at Bournemouth, Iraola met with incoming Cherries' boss Marco Rose to debrief him about the players and what to expect on the South Coast. Now his handover is finished, he will likely be looking to meet with Liverpool.
Iraola knows Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes, as the Merseysiders' boardroom chief was the one who brought the Spaniard over from Rayo Vallecano.
Head Coach Andoni Iraola and James Hill of Bournemouth after their sides 1-1 draw during the Premier League match between Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth at City Ground on May 24, 2026 in Nottingham, England
Iraola guided Bournemouth into the Europa League(Image: 2026 Robin Jones - AFC Bournemouth)
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At the time, Iraola was not well known in the Premier League, but he has since gone on to become one of the best managers in the division. He also left Bournemouth with, by a distance, the longest unbeaten streak in the Premier League this season.
The Cherries did not lose a Premier League match for the last 18 matches of the season, their last one coming back in January when they lost 3-2 to Arsenal on January 3. Meanwhile, Slot was given his marching orders after their disappointing Premier League title defence ended with a 5th-place finish.
Liverpool's Dutch manager Arne Slot looks on ahead of the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Brentford at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on May 24, 2026
Slot was removed from his position on May 30(Image: AFP or licensors)
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When his sacking was confirmed, Slot issued a brief statement to say thank you to his former colleagues and players. He said: "It's been an amazing ride together with Liverpool, I am so grateful that we were able to win the league last season."
It remains to be seen which clubs will look to hire Slot this summer, though he has been linked with AC Milan and Ajax.
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