Liverpool are in the running to land Andoni Iraola as their new manager as a big Arne Slot condition has been revealed amid a report claiming the Bournemouth boss is ‘close to an agreement’ with his next club.
Iraola has opted to step down from Bournemouth at the end of the season and could conceivably leave the Cherries with Champions League football as a remarkable parting gift.
They currently sit sixth in the Premier League, which will be enough to secure Champions League football if Aston Villa remain fifth and win the Europa League.
Unai Emery’s side are strong favourites to win the gong after securing a clash with Freiburg in the final having destroyed Nottingham Forest on Thursday.
Iraola is thought to be one of the ‘leading candidates’ to take over at Chelsea after the Blues sacked Liam Rosenior last month and put Calum McFarlane back in interim charge until the end of the season.
He’s thought to be ‘open’ to the idea of leading Chelsea and is keen to stay in the Premier League, but Crystal Palace are also in the frame as they seek a replacement for Oliver Glasner, who has set up the prospect of the perfect goodbye after guiding the Eagles to their second major final in a year.
Spanish outlet El Chiringuito – not a typically reliable source – claimed this week that Iraola is ‘close to an agreement’ with Palace and that he’s been presented with a lucrative offer to take over at Selhurst Park.
Journalist Ben Jacobs moved to put those rumours to bed, insisting it remains an ‘open race’ for Iraola.
He told Give Me Sport: “Now, we’ve heard some reports in the last 24 hours saying that Crystal Palace are or advancing on Iraola. That’s not my understanding. It’s an open race and as it stands, no agreement between Iraola and Crystal Palace. Even though he’s kind of a dream choice for the Eagles.
“There would of course be other suitors, Iraola is prepared to stay in England.
“And out of respect to Bournemouth, he wants to finish the season and then make a decision as to what is next. And Chelsea are expected to be a genuine suitor.”
Liverpool could throw a spanner in the works
The Reds have consistently insisted that Slot will remain in charge next season no matter what having won the title last season and with excuses for their dramatic drop-off this term featuring injury problems and their £450m-worth of new signings struggling to adapt.
But The i Paper have claimed that Iraola “would be among the candidates considered if (and it’s a big if) Slot goes” at the end of the season.
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