How Andoni Iraola feels about taking over from Arne Slot at Liverpool midway through 2026/27
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Andoni Iraola is reportedly keeping his options open this summer amid rumours he is the top choice to replace Arne Slot at Liverpool.After the Reds chose not to step in and prevent Xabi Alonso from joining Chelsea, Iraola has emerged as the most likely candidate if Liverpool change manager this summer.That is still far from guaranteed, though, with the most likely scenario still being that Slot stays on until next season. With the Basque keen to make sure he lands the right project, he could reportedly hold off this summer and join Liverpool if things go bad for Slot in 2026/27.Iraola happy to wait for Liverpool jobPart of the reason Liverpool fans want Slot gone this summer is because of the risk of disruption to next season if he stays.Another disastrous start to the campaign and the Reds would run the risk of throwing away yet another season, and their options for who could replace Slot would be limited, with many managers unwilling to take on such a big job mid-season.But Laurens says this is unlikely to be Iraola’s stance.
Instead of jumping into somewhere like Crystal Palace, whom he has an offer from, he could wait for Liverpool instead.READ MORE: FSG claimed to potentially have ‘something else up their sleeve’ as Liverpool miss out on Xabi AlonsoPhoto by Robin Jones – AFC Bournemouth/AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images“No [he won’t stay at Bournemouth],” Laurens told ESPN FC when asked if Iraola could still decide to reverse his decision to leave the Cherries. “I think for a long time he was hoping that maybe Liverpool would get rid of Arne Slot and that would be the perfect fit for him,” the reporter added.
“That’s not going to happen for now, but I don’t rule out the chance that he won’t have a club at the start of next season and he will take a bit of time to make sure that the right offer comes, which might come at Liverpool if Arne Slot doesn’t last until November, for example, that’s a strong possibility. “But I don’t think he can stay at Bournemouth, and I think he will be very particular in where he goes next, because he wants something quite big and something that he thinks is the right project for him.”Previous reports have suggested that Iraola is keen to stay in the Premier League following his exit from Bournemouth.