The ex-Bournemouth manager has been tipped as the man to replace Slot.
By Alex Ridout
When dawn broke on the 30th of May, the main focus of the footballing world was on the mighty clash between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Arsenal in the final of the Champions League.
No one was waiting or expecting any sort of other news, especially regarding the Liverpool manager position.
Embed from Getty ImagesAfter a season that had caused many Reds supporters to have concerns about the direction their club was going in, as disagreement with players and a slow style of play seemed to be creating worry, a change at the helm was something that a large portion of the fanbase had been calling for.
From the halfway point of the 25/26 campaign, results had been well off the standard that Arne Slot had set during his year at Anfield, and with the title defence lasting a mere couple of months before looking all but over, the future of the Dutchman seemed uncertain.
However, as the end of the season came, and as the Liverpool faithful said goodbye to Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson, Slot sat back, looking on as two of the club’s greats said their farewells to a place that had meant so much to them over the past nine years.
Embed from Getty ImagesAs the players welcomed their families onto the Anfield turf, and fans took to the stairs after what was a forgettable season at best, their manager was fairly absent from the proceedings, holding himself back from the spotlight.
Days passed, and there was no word from the club about the future of the manager, whether he was staying or going.
Nothing until Saturday.
On a day that was supposed to be all about two of Europe’s best going head-to-head in Budapest, the early morning news was dominated by one line: “Arne Slot sacked”.
The news came as a shock to many around the Liverpool scene, not really because they disagreed with the decision, but more the fact that the hierarchy had actually done it.
A week on from the final moments of football against Brentford, adding Xabi Alonso’s announcement as Chelsea manager gave the impression that the Dutchman would be given the time to try and turn around the poor performances that fans had been subjected to this season.
But to the surprise and relief of many Reds fans, this was not the case, and the two-year tenure of Slot at Liverpool came to an end, after winning the club their 20th league title in his first season.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe immediate thought of the footballing world will be who will be his successor?
With Luis Enrique’s PSG future still uncertain, despite winning his second Champions League title in a row with the side from the French capital, and Stuttgart’s highly rated Sebastian Hoeneß both potentially available, there are options for Fenway Sports Group (FSG).
Embed from Getty ImagesThough the American ownership has already identified their number one target, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano, and that man is Andoni Iraola.
The ex-Bournemouth manager has had an impressive season, leading the Cherries to a sixth-place finish in the Premier League, giving them Europa League football for next season.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Spaniard then left the Vitality Stadium on his own accord, potentially with a job on Merseyside in mind.
Iraola plays a style very different to Slot’s, with an emphasis on the attacking side of the game, which is something that many Liverpool fans had missed during the Dutchman’s second season at Anfield.
Whether Iraola is the next man to take on Liverpool is yet to be seen; however, the project of the former champions of England is certainly an interesting one, with many questions that FSG will surely need to answer.
Featured image of Arne Slot in an interview with ESPN: Carlo Bruil Fotografie via Wikimedia Commons
Alex Ridout Sports Journalist 