Andoni Iraola makes his first big decision after becoming the clear favorite for the Liverpool job
Andoni Iraola already knows what he’ll do first if he becomes Liverpool’s new manager, according to reports. He’s the top choice to replace Arne Slot after the Dutch coach was let go on Saturday afternoon, The Athletic says.
Iraola recently left Bournemouth after their last Premier League game of the season and had announced his plans to leave back in April. He’s talked with AC Milan, Bayer Leverkusen, and Crystal Palace but now looks set to take charge at Anfield.
In his final season with Bournemouth, Iraola helped the team finish sixth and oversaw a club-record 18-game unbeaten run. The Cherries will try to keep that streak going with their new manager, Marco Rose.
If Iraola takes over Liverpool, he plans to bring back a fast, exciting style of play, more like what fans saw under Jurgen Klopp, rather than what Slot used last season.
The Times reports Iraola has already made an important decision before possibly joining Liverpool: he wants to bring Bournemouth’s first-team coach, Tommy Elphick, with him as his assistant.
Elphick, a former player with nearly 400 career appearances, had to retire early due to injury but helped Bournemouth get promoted to the Premier League in 2015. He’s also a lifelong Liverpool fan and once said how happy he was when Bournemouth faced Liverpool in the League Cup.
Recently, Elphick turned down a chance to manage Bristol City, as Bournemouth wanted him to stay on with their new boss. But with all the changes at Liverpool, he might be waiting for a new opportunity instead.
Sky Sports reporter Mark McAdam says Liverpool have two managers in their sights to replace Slot but hasn’t named the second one besides Iraola. He wonders if Liverpool might try to hire PSG’s Luis Enrique after the Champions League final.
“At this point, Liverpool hasn’t officially spoken to anyone, but Iraola is definitely someone they want to talk to,” McAdam wrote. “It’s interesting Liverpool sacked Slot today when there might be big changes at PSG soon. There are two names on Liverpool’s shortlist. One is Iraola — who’s the other? That’s the big question.”
Other names linked to the Liverpool job include Stuttgart coach Sebastian Hoeness and Lens manager Pierre Saenger.