Andoni Iraola already explained Liverpool contract length after following familiar path

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Liverpool is closing in on appointing Andoni Iraola as its new manager, although the former Bournemouth boss has insisted on only signing a two-year deal at AnfieldAndoni Iraola has reached a verbal agreement with Liverpool(Image: Getty Images)Andoni Iraola has already opened up on why he favors short-term contracts as he closes in on becoming Liverpool’s new manager.The 43-year-old has reached a verbal agreement with the Reds to take over from Arne Slot after the Dutchman was fired at the weekend. Liverpool has moved quickly to secure the former Bournemouth boss, and is expected to unveil him before the end of the week.Unlike Slot, who still had a year remaining on his contract after signing a three-year deal upon his arrival at Anfield, Iraola is set to sign just a two-year contract, with the length of the agreement at his request.Having a manager ask for a shorter-term deal may raise eyebrows among supporters, although it is a method Iraola has employed in all of his managerial jobs so far, having taken inspiration from the likes of Marcelo Bielsa and Ernesto Valverde, both of whom he played under at Athletic Bilbao.Speaking to BBC Radio Solent back in October 2025, when he was entering the final few months of his contract at Bournemouth, Iraola explained that he prefers to negotiate his contracts when he knows both sides are on the same page.“I think the only time I’ve signed two years is here for Bournemouth,” Iraola said.

“Not that I’m relaxed, I don’t want to continue at a club just because I have a contract, I want to continue because both sides are happy and they want to continue together.Andoni Iraola has taken inspiration from his former Athletic Bilbao manager Marcelo Bielsa(Image: ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP via Getty Images)“In the manager’s case, I think contracts are not as important as the players’ cases because, in the end, you have to get results.“We can have whatever contract I have, if I don’t get results in three, four months, I will be in danger.“It’s in Bournemouth and in every club, so I try to focus in the short-term, do your job, get your results, and then normally, everything is fine.Get Liverpool's new 2026/27 home kitThis article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn moreLiverpool FC have launched their new home kit for the 2026/27, inspired by iconic adidas strip worn during the club's 1989/90 title-winning campaign.“In Spain, probably it’s different, and with Rayo I used to renew a lot of times after the decision.

I renewed two times after the decision, but I understand that here, the times normally are different in England.”He added: “I think you have to earn the right every season, sometimes even if you don’t get the results, maybe the club is very happy with your work and they want to continue, and it happens the opposite both ways.“I think in many cases, at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if you have another three years. It’s like every year, I think it has to be like a renewal of confidence from both sides.”Andoni Iraola will look to bring his coaching staff from Bournemouth with him(Image: Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)Iraola is now expected to step into the dugout at Anfield, with the former Cherries boss looking to bring his coaching staff of Pablo de la Torre, Tommy Elphick, Shaun Cooper and Tom Webber with him from Bournemouth.Liverpool.com says: A manager only committing to two years might not feel like a vote of confidence, but actually, it might suit Liverpool.The Reds are taking a bit of a gamble, considering this will be the biggest job Iraola has taken on in his managerial career, and so his insistence on a two-year deal means that the club can review the situation again down the line, rather than be forced into a difficult decision like it was with Slot.