Exclusive: Andoni Iraola Set to Become Liverpool’s Next Manager — The Anfield Revolution Begins
Hours after sacking Arne Slot, Liverpool have already identified their man. The Spaniard who transformed Bournemouth is heading to Anfield.
Liverpool Football Club are not wasting a single moment. On the same day they confirmed the departure of Arne Slot, the wheels are already turning on one of the most exciting managerial appointments in the club’s recent history. Liverpool are set to appoint Andoni Iraola as their next manager following the departure of Arne Slot. The Reds have moved swiftly to identify the Spaniard as their preferred candidate, with negotiations expected to progress quickly.
The news was broken by the most reliable voice in world football transfers. Fabrizio Romano confirmed the development, posting on X: “Andoni Iraola, set to become the next Liverpool manager!”
The Reunification That Makes Perfect Sense
This appointment has been building for some time — and at its heart is a relationship that Liverpool’s sporting director never forgot. Liverpool director Richard Hughes has ‘activated’ the operation to hire Iraola, with the sporting director keen to reunite with the Spaniard after his incredible sixth-place finish with Bournemouth. It was Hughes who first appointed Iraola at Bournemouth back in 2023, and the trust between the two men has never wavered.
Iraola confirmed he would be leaving Bournemouth at the end of his contract, having been in charge of the Cherries since 2023. He led Bournemouth to a sixth-place finish in 2025/26, with his side still in the running to beat Liverpool to Champions League qualification heading into the final game of the season.
The Man Who Turned Down Everyone Else — For Liverpool
The 43-year-old was understood to be weighing up his options and had reportedly this week turned down approaches from both AC Milan and Crystal Palace, instead favouring a move to Anfield. That decision speaks volumes about Iraola’s ambition and his belief in the Liverpool project. When the biggest club came calling, every other offer became irrelevant.
In the aftermath of Liverpool announcing Slot’s exit, Iraola rocketed to favourite among the bookmakers, with many offering 1/2 odds that he would be next in the dugout at Anfield. Among the chasing pack for the position, according to the bookies, are Sebastian Hoeness, Julian Nagelsmann and Oliver Glasner.
Xabi Alonso had long been linked with a return to Merseyside during Slot’s struggles this season, but the former Liverpool midfielder has recently signed a long-term deal to become Chelsea’s next manager — closing the door on what would have been a romantic but complicated appointment.
What Liverpool Are Getting
Andoni Iraola is one of the most highly regarded coaches in world football — a man who built Bournemouth into genuine contenders with a fraction of the resources available at Anfield. His football is defined by relentless pressing, high energy, positional discipline and an attacking intent that made Bournemouth one of the most watchable teams in the Premier League.
The Spaniard’s work in the Premier League and his reputation for implementing an aggressive, progressive style of football have made him the leading candidate — a coach capable of restoring energy and purpose to a Liverpool side that lost its identity in a disappointing second season under Slot.
At 43, Iraola is a young, ambitious, tactically sophisticated manager who has already proven he can thrive in the Premier League environment. At Liverpool, with a squad of genuine world-class talent and the backing of FSG, the ceiling is limitless.
A New Era Begins
Marco Rose has been confirmed as Iraola’s successor at Bournemouth, clearing the last administrative hurdle for the Liverpool move to proceed without complication.
The Anfield crowd has been waiting. The players have been waiting. A club that won the Premier League title twelve months ago and then collapsed spectacularly now has renewed purpose, renewed direction, and — if the early signs are anything to go by — renewed belief.
Andoni Iraola is coming to Anfield. Liverpool’s revolution starts now.