Andoni Iraola has revealed he was in discussions with multiple clubs before Liverpool’s late swoop – a fast-moving chain of events that has already led the Reds to target Monaco winger Maghnes Akliouche.
“It happened quite fast,” Iraola said. “Yes, it was true that I was talking with some clubs. I think it was the first or second week after the season ended. Liverpool contacted me, and it didn’t take a lot [to say yes].”
“Andoni Iraola reveals he was in talks with other clubs before Liverpool hired him, as Reds approach Monaco for winger Akliouche.”
The 44-year-old replaced Arne Slot as head coach after Liverpool finished fifth in the Premier League, losing a club record 20 games across all competitions. Iraola had stepped down from Bournemouth after three years.
His arrival is seen as a push for attacking football. “I want to give fans a team to be proud of,” he said at his introductory news conference last week.
Liverpool’s pre-season tour of the United States begins with a friendly against Sunderland in Nashville on Saturday, followed by matches against Wrexham in New York and Leeds United in Chicago.
Iraola, a former Spain international who spent 12 seasons at Athletic Club, drew comparisons between his hometown club and Liverpool. Athletic Club’s Basque-only policy means they can only use players born or developed in the Basque country. “It is a very special club,” he said. “You have to maximise every player you have in the squad. You cannot sell him and choose another one a lot of times. As a player, you have to give extra. … This creates a connection and you see they win things. They have never been relegated.”
“I see a lot of things [similar to Liverpool],” he added. “This sense of belonging, of being a little bit different. This connection also, with players from the academy. The atmosphere of Anfield. This is one of the biggest clubs in the world and in some way the comparison probably isn’t fair. But in a lot of ways I see a lot of things similar.”
Iraola is one of four Basque managers in last season’s Premier League top 10, alongside Mikel Arteta, Unai Emery and Xabi Alonso. “They ask me a lot why a lot of Basque managers especially have arrived to this level,” he said. “I always say that a sense of collectiveness is very important.”
On the pitch, Liverpool are hunting for wide options after Mohamed Salah’s farewell. The Liverpool ECHO reported that the Reds made an initial approach for Monaco’s Maghnes Akliouche, contacting the Ligue 1 side earlier in the transfer window to gauge availability. The 24-year-old France international scored seven goals and provided 11 assists last season and has been the subject of three rejected bids from Paris Saint-Germain.
Former Liverpool player Takumi Minamino, Akliouche’s teammate at Monaco since 2022, has already offered a glowing assessment. “When I arrived at the club, I noticed him straight away, he was the best young player in the team,” Minamino told Monaco’s website in December 2024. “He has huge potential and he showed it last year against several teams.”
Whether Akliouche will become Iraola’s first signing alongside summer recruit Victor Munoz remains uncertain, but the Basque coach’s fast-moving start at Anfield shows no signs of slowing down.