NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND - MAY 24: Head Coach Andoni Iraola of Bournemouth in his last game in charge after his sides 1-1 draw during the Premier League match between Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth at City Ground on May 24, 2026 in Nottingham, England. (Photo by Robin Jones - AFC Bournemouth/AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images)

AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images

Only a matter of weeks ago, it seemed inevitable that Xabi Alonso would lead Liverpool into the 2026/27 season. The former midfielder was available after leaving Real Madrid in January and Arne Slot was struggling badly to turn around a disappointing campaign for the defending Premier League champions.

It was therefore unsurprising that Slot was fired on Saturday. More surprising was that Liverpool waited until Alonso was off the market to make this decision, pushing Slot out the Anfield exit door two weeks after the Spaniard had accepted another job offer from Chelsea. Instead, Liverpool is reportedly set to hire Andoni Iraola.

Iraola is highly-rated in his own right, but he favours a very different kind of soccer to Alonso, and Slot for that matter. At Bournemouth, he forged one of the best quick-transition teams in the Premier League, taking the Cherries to new heights. In Iraola’s final match in charge, Bournemouth qualified for the Europa League for the first time.

Over the last few seasons, Liverpool has moved towards a more possession-orientated style. This was a process that started in the final two seasons under Jurgen Klopp and continued with the appointment of Slot, who was known for the level of control his Feyenoord team played with in the Eredivisie.

This season, though, Liverpool got stuck between the counter-attacking style favoured by Klopp and Slot’s possession-heavy game. This resulted in the Anfield side losing its identity and so Fenway Sports Group (FSG) is clearly betting on Iraola being the right man to address this heading into the 2026/27 campaign.

Iraola’s appointment must only be the start of a significant summer for Liverpool. Mohamed Salah’s departure means the Reds need a new right-sided wide player with Scotland international Andy Robertson’s exit potentially pushing the club into the transfer market for a new left back.

Many Liverpool supporters believe the team requires a new central midfielder while central defence will surely be a focus following news that Ibrahima Konate will leave the club as a free agent this summer. It was already the case that Liverpool needed greater defensive depth before it became clear Konate is on his way out.

The post-Klopp era was always going to be a challenge for Liverpool and so it has proved even if the Reds lifted the Premier League trophy last season. Iraola might end up being the right man for the job at Anfield, or he could be another embodiment of how Liverpool is unsure of its identity at the moment.