Liverpool are closing in on appointing Andoni Iraola as their new manager with an agreement already reached between the two parties.

Liverpool chiefs will have tasked the former Bournemouth boss with turning their fortunes around following a tough season on and off the pitch at Anfield.

The Reds produced a miserable defence of their Premier League title as they finished fifth and 25 points behind champions Arsenal, although they faced the heartbreaking loss of Diogo Jota, while club-record signing Alexander Isak was impacted by injury throughout the campaign.

Meanwhile, Iraola led the Cherries to sixth and Europa League football, following an outstanding second half of the season on the south coast.

The 43-year-old arrives at Anfield as one of the best young coaches in European football, and a manager who is brilliant tactically and loves to play the high-intensity football that Reds supporters love.

While Liverpool still have a lot of good players in their ranks, there will be changes this summer, with some enforced after the departures of Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate this summer.

Incomings are on their way, especially in attacking areas where there is a shortage of quality and depth after Salah’s exit.

Romano: Liverpool In Talks Over ‘Fast’ Yan Diomande Deal

Liverpool’s priority is to sign a replacement for Salah this summer, and RB Leipzig sensation Yan Diomande has emerged as one of their top targets to replace the Egyptian on the right after a breakthrough campaign for the Bundesliga outfit.

The 19-year-old scored 13 goals and registered a further 10 assists this term for Leipzig, which are impressive numbers for a teenager, and reports in Germany have suggested that the club value him at up to £130m.

As well as his goal contribution numbers, Diomande has also impressed with his pressing intensity and his work rate, which prove he is a team player despite being someone who causes nightmares for defenders.

Romano has issued the latest on Liverpool’s pursuit of Diomande, who is also a target for Paris Saint-Germain, on his YouTube channel, with the player’s representatives wanting a deal wrapped up before the World Cup begins on June 11.

He said: “Liverpool are in negotiations. They are on it, for sure. PSG are also speaking with the player’s camp. The battle is on.

“I can tell you the preference on the player side is to do the deal fast before the start of the World Cup so Diomande can go to the World Cup without thinking. They will try to accelerate the deal before the World Cup.

“It will depend on Leipzig. It is never easy to negotiate with them but Liverpool and PSG are both working on it.”

Diomande Would be Iraola’s Next Semenyo

Semenyo exploded under Iraola at the Vitality Stadium prior to his move to Manchester City, scoring 10 Premier League goals this season before his transfer in the January window.

Like Diomande, Semenyo showed he could play on both flanks during his time with Bournemouth, and he caused big issues for his opponents.

Germany-based journalist Seb Stafford-Bloor is someone who has watched a lot of Diomande during the 2025-26 campaign, and he even said himself that the Ivorian ‘reminds me of Semenyo’.

It appears as though Diomande isn’t going to come cheap this summer, but he has the attributes to thrive under Iraola at Anfield if a move does materialise.

One of the biggest debates in English football, one that still rages today, is who was the better player: Paul Scholes, Steven Gerrard or Frank Lampard? The question is one that has split opinions throughout the sport, with fans, players and pundits offering their takes on the subject.

All three shone in the Premier League. Scholes represented Manchester United and was key to their success throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Gerrard was Liverpool through and through, guiding the Merseyside club to the promised land on multiple occasions throughout the 2000s and 2010s, and Lampard first impressed at West Ham United before becoming a Chelsea legend, known for his goalscoring exploits as the Blues wrestled control of the Premier League from United during the 2000s and 2010s.

All three were very different kinds of players, but they’ve been compared to one another for two decades now. Former Arsenal midfielder Gilberto Silva was the latest former player to give his opinion on the trio and he ranked them from worst to best during an appearance on the podcast, From My Left.

Gilberto’s Ranking of Scholes, Gerrard and Lampard

During his appearance on the From My Left podcast, Gilberto was tasked with ranking Patrick Vieira with Scholes, Gerrard and Lampard. The Brazilian wasted no time ranking his former teammate in first place, before then moving onto the English trio. In first place, he picked Scholes.

The two did battle during Arsenal’s rivalry with United in the early 2000s, with the two teams competing for the Premier League title. The ex-Gunner even went on to describe Scholes as the toughest player he ever had to face off against. Speaking about the former United star, he said:

Scholes is considered the best midfielder in Premier League history, so there won’t be many who disagree with Gilberto’s decision to rank him ahead of Gerrard and Lampard. In second place, he picked the Liverpool man. Over the years, Gerrard earned a reputation for his ability to lead Liverpool through the toughest of circumstances. He is beloved by the Reds faithful and there aren’t many fans of the club who would choose anyone over him.

Lampard Chosen Last, But Certainly Not Least

Lampard came last in Gilberto’s ranking. The former Chelsea man is the greatest goalscoring midfielder in Premier League history. He became the first player in his position to score at least 10 league goals in 10 straight seasons and always stepped up to the plate when the Blues needed it most.

He was a fierce competitor and was also a dependable leader, always rising to the occasion when John Terry was unavailable, such as in the 2012 Champions League final.

Now, out of the trio, he is the best manager of England’s golden generation midfield, with his latest achievement seeing him take Coventry City from consistent Championship playoff contention to the league title, with the Sky Blues back in the Premier League.

The general consensus surrounding Liverpool’s decision to replace Arne Slot – the Reds’ latest Premier League-winning manager – with Andoni Iraola is that it is a gamble worth taking. Swapping the Dutchman’s slower, more methodical tactical style for the explosive, front-footed approach of Bournemouth’s former mastermind feels much more like a return to the Jurgen Klopp blueprint.

It was that exciting brand of football that earned the Cherries a place in next season’s Europa League, as they went unbeaten throughout the second half of the league campaign. Meanwhile, Slot was struggling to get a tune out of nearly all of his expensive new signings, including British transfer-record arrivals Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak, as the fallen champions only just scraped into the top five.

This new era has set the wheels in motion for a fresh start under leadership that should reignite an Anfield crowd which lost most of its spark last season. However, not everyone is convinced by the bold approach. One of Liverpool’s former FA Cup winners has already spoken out, revealing the five alternative candidates he would have preferred to see appointed instead of Iraola.

Why Former Liverpool Ace is Against Andoni Iraola’s Appointment

Dean Saunders, who played for Liverpool in the early ’90s and won an FA Cup for his efforts, is not so sure the Spaniard is the right choice, doubting his ability to step up to the pressurised situation of managing an elite club. “Only certain people can manage Liverpool,” Saunders told talkSPORT.

He added: “You think of people who know how to win football matches and know how to take the game to the opposition. They know how to break parking the bus down every week, they know how to do it.”

Indeed, the 61-year-old, who also had stints at the likes of Aston Villa, Derby County, and Brighton & Hove Albion, has a point. Iraola has never won a major trophy, never managed a club whose ambitions depend on the ultimate currency of success, while you would have to look a fair way back before seeing the last time a manager from outside of the top six joined one and was a hit.

The Five Managers Saunders Would Have Turned To Instead

Needless to say, Saunders’ call for the Reds to try tie Pep Guardiola down to a contract just weeks after leaving his beloved Manchester City is one hell of a sensational call. But the point he was making with his list of alternatives is that he believes Liverpool should have looked towards the tried, tested, and successful head coaches first.

“Liverpool can pay the manager whatever they want. I would think, right we’re going to sack Slot who can we get?” he continued. “Jurgen Klopp, can we get Jurgen Klopp back?

The Athletic report that Iraola has verbally agreed a deal to become Liverpool manager and is set to sign a two-year contract at Anfield. It will undoubtedly be a giant step for the 43-year-old, who has a glowing reputation, but has a managerial history of AEK Larnaca, Mirandes and Rayo Vallecano before his three-year stint with Bournemouth.

While silverware will be expected at Anfield, though, it won’t be number one priority next season. The Spaniard’s high-octane style of football should keep his new supporters interested for a while yet anyway, and the red half of Merseyside usually takes a lot of hits before changing their mind on their manager.