Liverpool among 4 teams chasing Andoni Iraola after firing Arne Slot
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Andoni Iraola is the frontrunner to replace Arne Slot as Liverpool boss, but the 43-year-old is said to have held talks with three other clubs that are also keen on appointing himAndoni Iraola is a man in demand this summer(Image: Getty Images)Liverpool may face competition from three other clubs in its pursuit of Andoni Iraola.The Merseyside outfit has confirmed the dismissal of Arne Slot following two seasons at the helm, with the Spaniard emerging as the leading candidate to succeed him. Iraola, who departed Bournemouth after steering the Cherries to Europa League qualification for the first time in the club's history, has been touted as Slot's replacement on the red half of Merseyside.However, the Reds are not alone in their interest.
Crystal Palace, Bayer Leverkusen, and AC Milan have also been linked with the 43-year-old and are reported to have already held discussions with him. Liverpool will likely need to compete with these three sides if they wish to bring Iraola to Anfield.According to the Daily Mail, Iraola is the leading contender for the Liverpool position, and he is fully aware of the club's interest in him.It has also been reported that Palace has presented Iraola with the role at Selhurst Park and is awaiting his response by the end of the weekend, effectively giving the Spaniard a 24-hour deadline.Iraola is also believed to have held discussions with AC Milan, who recently parted ways with Massimiliano Allegri, and Bayer Leverkusen, who dismissed Erik ten Hag last summer and have had former Denmark boss Kasper Hjulmand in charge since.Slot was removed from his position on Saturday(Image: Getty Images)In his final days at Bournemouth, Iraola sat down with incoming Cherries boss Marco Rose to brief him on the squad and what to expect on the South Coast.
With that handover now complete, he is widely expected to hold talks with Liverpool in due course.Iraola is no stranger to Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes, given that it was the Merseysiders' boardroom chief who originally brought the Spaniard to England from Rayo Vallecano.At the time of his arrival, Iraola was relatively unknown in the Premier League, yet he has since established himself as one of the most astute managers in the division.He also departed Bournemouth having overseen, by some margin, the longest unbeaten run in the Premier League this season.The Cherries went unbeaten in their final 18 Premier League matches of the campaign, their last defeat coming on January 3 when they fell 3-2 to Arsenal.Meanwhile, Slot was shown the door following a disappointing Premier League title defense that concluded with a fifth-place finish.Upon confirmation of his dismissal, Slot released a brief statement expressing his gratitude to his former colleagues and players. He said: "It's been an amazing ride together with Liverpool, I am so grateful that we were able to win the league last season."Which clubs will move to appoint Slot this summer remains to be seen, though he has already been linked with both AC Milan and Ajax.