Andoni Iraola to Liverpool timeline revealed as talks over manager job booked after Arne Slot sacked | OneFootball

Reds move fast to land top target as rival clubs circle

Liverpool will hold talks with Andoni Iraola this week as they look to replace Arne Slot in short order.

The Reds announced the surprise decision to part ways with Slot on Saturday after he endured a dismal Premier League title defence and fell out with some key members of his squad, most notably Mohamed Salah.

Iraola immediately emerged as a frontrunner to replace the Dutchman after he agreed to part ways with Bournemouth come the end of the 2025/26 Premier League campaign.

One in, one out: Andoni Iraola has been tipped as Liverpool’s top choice to replace Arne Slot

Getty / London Standard

And, per reports from The Independent, the Catalan will sit down with Liverpool representatives to discuss his appointment this week.

Formal talks are expected to be held in the coming days as Liverpool look to move quickly to land their first-choice candidate.

Other options on the table include Sebastian Hoeness and Pierre Sage, currently of VfB Stuttgart and Lens, respectively. The fact both are currently in work would, of course, make any deal more difficult to pull off.

Iraola, meanwhile, is free and available despite courting interest from Crystal Palace and AC Milan. He is also familiar with Liverpool director of football Richard Hughes, after he scouted Iraola on Bournemouth’s behalf, following his highly successful three-year stint at Rayo Vallecano.

Liverpool are understood to have been wooed by Iraola’s attack-minded brand of football, which stands in stark contrast to Slot’s often plodding approach.