Report: Liverpool have target date in mind for finalising Andoni Iraola appointment | OneFootball

Liverpool have reportedly set a target date for finalising the proposed appointment of Andoni Iraola as their next head coach.

The 43-year-old is understood to be the preferred candidate to succeed Arne Slot in the role after his recent departure from Bournemouth, and Sky sources reported on Sunday that negotiations with the Spaniard are ‘ongoing and advanced’.

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The former Cherries boss was also wanted by Crystal Palace as they seek a replacement for Oliver Glasner, but with Selhurst Park chiefs accepting that Iraola seems destined for Anfield, they’ve now turned their attention to potentially hiring Lens coach Pierre Sage.

Liverpool keen to finalise Iraola appointment swiftly

According to the Liverpool Echo, the Merseyside club are ‘expected to begin formal talks’ with Iraola’s camp this week and are keen to have the proposed appointment finalised before the World Cup commences on 11 June.

‘Sources close to’ the 43-year-old have ‘remained tight-lipped’ on the situation, declining to comment publicly at this stage, although the Anfield hierarchy are eager to have a successor to Slot in place sooner rather than later.

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Hopefully Liverpool can get Iraola in place quickly

We’d like to think that Liverpool wouldn’t have jettisoned the Dutchman without being privately confident of having Iraola officially in place within a few days.

With the Spaniard having now left Bournemouth, the Merseyside club won’t have to pay any compensation to bring him to Anfield, and he’s already familiar with working under the ‘head coach’ remit which is now in place at L4.

The summer transfer window commences a fortnight from today, and having the 43-year-old in place before then would enable the Reds to get a head start in terms of their planned marketplace activity, rather than having to wait for this crucial appointment to be finalised while the window has already opened.

It’d also give Iraola a few weeks to map out pre-season preparations before the first batch of the Liverpool squad reconvene at the AXA Training Centre in early July, with those involved in the World Cup set to link up with the club at a later date once they’ve had a proper holiday.

Hopefully the Spaniard’s proposed appointment will proceed quickly and without any complications, so that he can officially take charge before the tournament in North America gets underway in 10 days’ time.