It's claimed that Crystal Palace set Andoni Iraola a 24-hour deadline to accept its managerial position at Selhurst Park, with Liverpool now understood to be stepping up talks with the former Bournemouth boss
Matty Hewitt Football Writer
10:43, 01 Jun 2026Updated 10:47, 01 Jun 2026
Andoni Iraola is among the front-runners to take over at Liverpool after Arne Slot was fired
Andoni Iraola is among the front-runners to take over at Liverpool after Arne Slot was fired(Image: Getty Images)
Andoni Iraola has allowed the reported 24-hour deadline set by Crystal Palace to accept the managerial role at Selhurst Park to pass, as Liverpool arranges a meeting with the departing Bournemouth boss.
Reports suggested that the 43-year-old had until the weekend to inform Steve Parish and the Eagles of his intentions, with Liverpool's Premier League rival also keen to secure his services.
Oliver Glasner is due to depart Selhurst Park when his contract expires, and Palace was eager to lure Iraola to London. However, Iraola is also widely regarded as the leading candidate to succeed Arne Slot following his dismissal by the Reds' hierarchy.
The Reds are poised to intensify negotiations with Iraola this week, and are hopeful of having a new manager in place before the World Cup gets underway on June 11.
Iraola is also reportedly a target for Italian club AC Milan, while German side Bayer Leverkusen is said to have entered discussions with the former Cherries boss.
Liverpool's sporting director, Richard Hughes, brought Iraola to the Vitality Stadium three years ago, when the Reds chief held the same position on the south coast, and there is significant admiration for the work the former Bournemouth manager has undertaken.
Slot was fired by Liverpool on Saturday
Slot was fired by Liverpool on Saturday(Image: Getty Images)
Those in Iraola's inner circle have remained tight-lipped, refusing to comment at this stage, but Liverpool is determined to secure a successor sooner rather than later, ahead of what promises to be a crucial campaign.
It is understood Iraola represents an ideal candidate as the club's owner, Fenway Sports Group, seeks a more proactive and attack-minded approach to soccer following a turbulent campaign under Slot that saw the Reds endure 20 defeats across all competitions.
Bournemouth concluded the season on an unbeaten run of 18 matches, qualifying for European soccer for the first time in the club's history under Iraola.
Throughout his spell in charge, the Cherries were widely regarded as one of the most intense pressing teams in the Premier League, with Slot regularly referencing their running statistics in the lead-up to encounters between the two sides over the past two seasons.
The Reds insist that pursuing a new manager will not see them become fixated on a single candidate at this juncture, yet Iraola has quickly emerged as the favored target, it is understood.
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Liverpool has drawn up a shortlist believed to also include Sebastian Hoeness of Stuttgart and Pierre Sage of Lens.
The Reds are eager to confirm an appointment at the earliest opportunity to give Slot's successor sufficient time to properly evaluate and prepare the squad ahead of the new campaign.
Slot was notified of Liverpool's decision to end their association on Saturday, before the announcement was made public at 12.30 pm local time, with the Dutchman's backroom team subsequently starting the process of officially confirming their own departures.