Andoni Iraola has arrived in Liverpool this morning as he is set to be appointed Liverpool’s new head coach. The 43-year-old landed at Liverpool John Lennon Airport from San Sebastian at around 10.40am.
The ECHO understands that Iraola has reached a verbal agreement with the Reds and is expected to sign a two-year contract. He follows Arne Slot, who was dismissed from the position last weekend after two years.
Iraola is a free agent having left Bournemouth at the end of the season after three seasons. Last month he led them to European qualification for the first time in their history. Discussions over the Anfield role have been led by the club's sporting director Richard Hughes, who appointed Iraola at Bournemouth when he was previously working at the South Coast side.
Iraola was a right-back as a player and spent the majority of his career at Athletic Bilbao. He began his managerial career with a brief stint in Cyprus with AEK Larnaca before one year at Mirandes in the Spanish second tier and a subsequent three-year stint at Rayo Vallecano, who he took into La Liga and to the last four of the Copa del Rey.
While Iraola has never won a major honour as either a player or manager, his attack-minded, high intensity style of play has earned him a growing reputation in the Premier League.
