Club ‘Have Been Informed’ Andoni Iraola Is Liverpool’s Top Candidate | OneFootball

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German side Bayer Leverkusen ‘have been informed’ of Liverpool making Andoni Iraola their top candidate to succeed Jurgen Klopp.

Arne Slot has been sacked as Liverpool manager after overseeing a steep decline at Anfield this season despite being heavily backed in the transfer market last summer, with spending which included the £125m capture of Alexander Isak.

Liverpool dismissed the Dutchman and his coaches Sipke Hulshoff and Giovanni van Bronckhorst, beginning an immediate search for his successor.

Former Bournemouth boss Iraola has emerged as the leading candidate to take over at Anfield this summer.

Iraola had been targeted by Italian giants AC Milan, but appeared to be edging towards taking the job at Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen.

Bayer Leverkusen, where Xabi Alonso shone brightly, are firm admirers of Iraola and his style of play.

Now though the situation has changed and, according to German journalist Florian Plettenberg, Bayer Leverkusen ‘have been informed’ that Iraola is now Liverpool’s top candidate, with talks taking place.

Iraola has not given any commitment to Bayer Leverkusen, leaving him free to take the Liverpool job if it is offered to him.

The Spaniard worked under the legendary boss Marcelo Bielsa during his time as a player at Athletic Bilbao.

That included immense demands being put on him and his team-mates during training, with Bielsa employing his notorious ‘murderball’ drill.

Iraola admitted that players had to eat a big bowl of rice the day before a ‘murderball’ session due to the intensity of it.

He said: “He uses them as a test to see if you’re ready to play or to find your limits.

“He’s especially vocal and demanding in these games and he doesn’t care about the tactical side. The games are just for the physical side.

“We all knew we had to eat a big bowl of rice the night before because he made sure you empty the tank.”

Liverpool’s players are likely to find training intense and demanding if Iraola becomes the new manager at Anfield.

The appointment would also mark Liverpool’s first Spanish manager since Rafael Benitez departed in 2010.