Liverpool will open formal talks with Andoni Iraola this week over becoming their new head coach.

The Reds sacked Arne Slot on Saturday, just a year after the Dutchman guided them to the Premier League title.

The club hope to have a successor in place as soon as possible, with former Bournemouth manager Iraola the leading contender.

Liverpool have considered alternative candidates, such as Stuttgart's Sebastian Hoeness and Lens' Pierre Sage, but the expectation is that Iraola will be appointed.

The 43-year-old delivered the Cherries' finest season to date with a sixth-placed finish - only one spot and three points behind Liverpool in the table - to qualify for next season's Europa League.

Spaniard Iraola announced in April he would leave the club this summer and has also been linked with Crystal Palace, AC Milan and Bayer Leverkusen.

The decision to sack Slot was made by Michael Edwards, Fenway Sports Group chief executive, and Richard Hughes, Liverpool's sporting director, who believe the club needs a more front-foot, aggressive and urgent style of football.

Iraola was appointed at Bournemouth when Hughes was technical director at the Cherries, a role he left in 2024 to join the Reds.

Liverpool have qualified for next season's Champions League despite finishing the Premier League season with 60 points - their lowest tally since the 2015-16 campaign and 25 points behind champions Arsenal.

The Anfield club spent £415m last summer on six players - the highest outlay in a window by a British club - in a bid to retain their title.

They broke the British transfer record to sign Alexander Isak from Newcastle for a fee of £125m having previously bought Bayer Leverkusen and Germany playmaker Florian Wirtz for a then-club record £116m.

Iraola, a former Spain right-back who spent the majority of his playing career at Athletic Bilbao, started out in management in Cyprus with AEK Larnaca.

Spells with Mirandes and Rayo Vallecano in his homeland followed before joining Bournemouth in 2023.

'A risk worth taking' or 'a backwards step'? Fans on Iraola approach

Carl: If he doesn't have us playing like crabs going side to side again for another season and understands that central midfielders don't play right-back then he'll be an improvement that's for sure. It would be a gamble but his style of football at Bournemouth is much closer to what we loved under Jurgen Klopp than anything Slot could bring. A risk worth taking.

Mike: Very happy with the Iraola approach. His attitude and work-rate, and that of his teams, is a better fit for Liverpool and what we need to right the wrongs of this season.

Mez: No-brainer. He's been the manager of the season.

Mark: I have always enjoyed how Bournemouth played under Iraola and feel a similar excitement to when we announced Klopp. Thanks, Arne, we will never forget the 20th title, but a change is needed.

Alex: Iraola would be a gamble. Do Liverpool have the squad for heavy metal football now? We're in a bit of a mess with last year's signings still to settle in and older players leaving. Luis Enrique would be my choice. He might be tempted to take on a new challenge after Paris St-Germain's Champions League victory.

Ken: I want Liverpool to take a bit of time to get this appointment right. Sporting director Richard Hughes needs to redeem himself by doing everything he can to persuade Luis Enrique to swap Paris for Liverpool. If that fails, then Iraola would be an acceptable alternative given his body of work in the Premier League.

David: I've got nothing against Iraola but this seems like a backwards step for Liverpool. I'd want a manager who has a proven track record of winning trophies, not one who delivers mid-table positions at the end of the season.

Paul: Iraola would be a risk. Bournemouth, and Brighton and Brentford, just seem to be a brilliantly run clubs and that no matter who comes in they punch well above their weight. When supposedly top managers leave these clubs they don't do as well as is expected of them and this could also be the case for Iraola. I think we need to try and get a more experienced coach who will immediately command the respect of the dressing room. (BBC)

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