Updated: 3 Jun 2026 09:40 BST |
4 min read
Liverpool have reached a verbal agreement to appoint Andoni Iraola as their new head coach although the Spaniard has already made a curious demand if he is to take the reins at Anfield.
The Reds have moved quickly to find a new manager after sacking Arne Slot on Saturday, with Iraola turning down interest from the likes of Milan, Bayer Leverkusen and Crystal Palace to join Liverpool after announcing his plans to leave Bournemouth when his contract expires in June.
Multiple sources have now revealed that Iraola’s appointment is set to be formally announced by Liverpool in the coming days once his backroom staff have been confirmed, with Pablo de la Torre, Tommy Elphick, Shaun Cooper and Tom Webber all in line to join the coach from Bournemouth.
There have also been suggestions that a former Liverpool player such as Thiago Alcantara or the recently-retired James Milner could work alongside Iraola.
Although Liverpool have agreed terms with their new head coach, they are only set to hand him a two-year contract at Iraola’s insistence, in line with his similar demand at Bournemouth.
The deal was led by Liverpool’s sporting director Richard Hughes, who appointed Iraola as Bournemouth manager in 2023 prior to moving to Anfield a year later.
Iraola: Contract lengths don’t matter
Iraola has drawn praise for his style of play and progress at Bournemouth, having led the Cherries to their highest-ever Premier League finish last season of sixth, which will see them compete in European football for the first time in their history.
Despite being revered at Bournemouth, Iraola never committed his future to Bournemouth beyond a two-year deal, which will continue at Liverpool, and the former Spain international has previously insisted that he was not concerned about contract lengths.
“I don’t want to continue at a club just because I have a contract,” Iraola told BBC Radio Solent in October. “I want to continue because both sides are happy and they want to continue together.
“In a manager’s case, I don’t think contracts are as important as a player’s case because, at the end of the day, you have to get the results. I can have whatever length contract I have but if I don’t get results I will be in danger.
“I try to focus in the short-term – do your job, get your results and then normally everything is fine.”
He added: “Signing a contract just to have the assurance that if they sack you, you will receive money, I wouldn’t feel pleased with this. I think you have to earn the right every season.
“Sometimes even if you don’t get the results, the club is happy with your work and they want to continue and it goes both ways. In manager’s cases, it doesn’t matter. If one party isn’t happy, normally it breaks from one side. Every year it has to be a renewal of confidence from both sides. It doesn’t matter about contracts.”
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