Andoni Iraola: Liverpool reach agreement with former Bournemouth head coach to succeed Arne Slot

Liverpool have reached a verbal agreement with Andoni Iraola to become their new head coach.

Sky Sports News understands Iraola wants Pablo de la Torre, Tommy Elphick, Shaun Cooper and Tom Webber to join him on the coaching staff at Anfield.

A formal announcement from Liverpool could happen in the coming days.

The process was led by sporting director Richard Hughes, who appointed Iraola at Bournemouth in 2023 before moving to Anfield the following year.

After Liverpool sacked Slot on Saturday, Sky Sports News revealed Iraola was the front-runner and formal talks were expected to start this week.

Liverpool's main objective has been to identify and recruit the individual who best suits their preferred playing style.

Liverpool have not yet made an approach to any individuals with a view to them joining the coaching staff. Such decisions would only be made when the advanced stage of discussions is reached with Iraola.

Iraola was headhunted by Hughes during his time at Bournemouth and went on to have great success at the Vitality Stadium.

The Cherries completed an 18-game unbeaten run during the second half of the 2025/26 Premier League season, leading to them securing a sixth-place finish and Europa League football. They also finished just three points behind Liverpool in the table.

Carragher unsure if Iraola can win Liverpool the league

Sky Sports' Jamie Carragher on Andoni Iraola:

"He's done a brilliant job in the Premier League, what Bournemouth have done is absolutely fantastic, but there are still huge question marks.

"The way he plays is definitely the way Liverpool want to go back to: high-intensity football. We know he's fantastic at that, but it's not just all about that when you're the Liverpool manager.

"Off the ball was a big problem for Arne Slot, that was the thing that really worried me, and I said all season that Liverpool off the ball were so poor.

"That's a big part of Liverpool's DNA, not just under Jurgen Klopp. The reason we talk about the Anfield factor, a lot of it is off the ball, not just on it, so he's fantastic at that.

"My worry is, can you play at that intensity when you're playing every three days, and that was only getting played once a week with Bournemouth. That is completely different.

"Whenever you're bringing a manager in for a top club in England, you're thinking: 'Can he win me the league?' That's a big question mark around him, or any manager coming in, but Liverpool had a manager who's won the league, so that's why I was always torn."

Redknapp: Iraola can handle Liverpool pressure

Sky Sports' Jamie Redknapp on Andoni Iraola:

"I love the man. I never thought what Eddie Howe did [at Bournemouth] could be eclipsed, but he's done that.

"The style of football is amazing - they play high pressure, they get after teams, which is exactly what Liverpool fans want.

"They want to see people with high energy, whether that fits the Liverpool mould, because they'll play man for man a lot. That style of play in midfield is really high energy - whether Wirtz fits into that, it'll be fascinating to see. Everybody is going to have to run in that team.

"There's talk that he doesn't like to talk to his players too much - if you're not in the team, he doesn't want to talk to you.

"That won't appeal to a lot of the players, but in this day and age, a lot of players go straight to the chairman or the director of football anyway.

"But he sets his stall out early - if you're in the team, he tells you a couple of hours beforehand.

"What will be the question now is going from Bournemouth to Liverpool, how do you handle that transition? I don't see it as a problem for him.

"As long as he gets the right players he needs. You can see he's made so many players at Bournemouth go from okay players to fantastic players, that look fit for the bill.

"I've got no problems with if he can handle it. He was a great player and is now an elite manager. If it is to be him, I have no doubt."