'No fun slot' has finally worn him out; Anotoni Iralola, who led Bournemouth (England) on a storm with attacking football, has been chosen... with a 'two-year short-term deal' as a safety measure.

*This content was translated by AI.

English powerhouse Liverpool has found a new manager. Anotoni Iralola (44), who led Bournemouth (England) on a storm with attacking football, is set to arrive at Anfield.

The UK Guardian reported on the 3rd (Korean time) that "Liverpool has reached a principle agreement on a two-year contract with Manager Iralola," adding that "negotiations with the Spanish-born manager Iralola progressed rapidly."

Liverpool recently parted ways with manager Arne Slot, who had led the team through the 2025-2026 season. With the manager's position vacant, they quickly moved to appoint a successor, selecting Manager Iralola as the new candidate.

Following UK local media like the Guardian, European transfer market expert Fabrizio Romano also reported that "Liverpool will appoint Manager Iralola as the new manager," adding his signature phrase "Here We Go," which essentially means official. The atmosphere suggests an official announcement is imminent.

It is reported that Manager Iralola plans to assemble his coaching staff by bringing over staff members who worked with him, including senior coach Tommy Elphick. Meanwhile, existing coaching staff who assisted Manager Slot, such as Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Ruben Peters, are set to leave Liverpool.

According to reports, after dismissing Manager Slot, Liverpool immediately began negotiations with Manager Iralola centered around Richard Hughes, the sports director. The alignment of opinions between both sides occurred faster than expected, and they ultimately reached a principle agreement on a two-year contract.

Manager Iralola has consistently signed short-term contracts throughout his managerial career. In his previous stints with AEK Larnaca (Cyprus), Mirandes (Spain), and Rayo Vallecano (Spain), he left each team within three years. At his former club Bournemouth, he led the team from July 2023 until his contract expired this summer, leading to their split. At Liverpool, he is expected to embark on a new challenge with a two-year short-term contract.

For Liverpool, the two-year short-term contract could serve as a kind of "safety measure." While Iralola's achievements at Bournemouth are recognized, some have raised questions due to his lack of experience managing a big club. If Iralola's tenure fails to deliver results as expected, Liverpool can reduce the burden in the process of appointing a successor.

The Guardian stated, "Iralola was a strong candidate for the Liverpool manager position," explaining that "his playing style matched the front-pressing, attacking tactics that Liverpool felt were lacking during the second season of Manager Slot." It further added, "Iralola's contract with Bournemouth expired after the 2025-2026 season, making him available for appointment."

Manager Slot, who left Liverpool, took over the reins following legendary manager Jurgen Klopp in 2024. In his debut season, 2024-2025, he successfully led Liverpool to the league title. However, in the 2025-2026 season, the team finished fifth in the league, failing to meet expectations.

The reason for the stronger criticism was the scale of investment. Last summer, Liverpool signed numerous world-class players in the transfer market, including Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, and Jeremy Frimpong. However, their performance throughout the season was unstable, and they were criticized for not properly utilizing their excellent attacking resources.

In contrast, Manager Iralola spent the most impressive season of his managerial career. Unlike Liverpool, Bournemouth saw many key players leave in the transfer market last summer. Nevertheless, Bournemouth defied expectations, finishing sixth in the league (57 points) and securing a spot in European club competition (Europa League) for the first time in the club's history. The team also stood out in attack, scoring 58 goals in the league, tying for fifth place in team scoring. Iralola's coaching ability received high praise, and he was eventually spotted by Liverpool's radar.

Earlier, the UK Daily Sun also reported, "Liverpool highly values Iralola's playing style. Despite the departure of many key players, he left a deep impression with his achievement of leading Bournemouth to the European club competition stage for the first time in the club's history."

The Guardian stated, "Liverpool wants to complete the appointment process before the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America to give Iralola sufficient time," and added, "An official announcement is expected before the end of this week."

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*This content was translated by AI.