Andoni Iraola has admitted he was in talks with other clubs before Liverpool swooped to make him their new manager – a whirlwind courtship that ended with the 44-year-old replacing Arne Slot just weeks after stepping down at Bournemouth.
“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].”
“Iraola confirms talks with other clubs before Liverpool job; says winger needed as Akliouche linked.”
The Reds moved quickly after sacking Slot at the end of May following a disappointing campaign that saw them finish fifth in the Premier League and lose a club-record 20 games across all competitions. Iraola was Liverpool’s main candidate from the start, and his arrival is seen as a bid to deliver an attacking brand of football.
Now the Basque coach – one of four from the region managing top-10 Premier League teams last season, alongside Mikel Arteta, Unai Emery and Xabi Alonso – is already eyeing squad improvements. “You have to always be open to new options to improve the squad,” he said. “There are obvious situations that we know where we need to sign players. A winger, for example – we definitely need to sign a winger.”
That admission has fuelled speculation over Monaco’s Maghnes Akliouche, a 24-year-old French international who has been learning English as he weighs up his options. Liverpool initiated contact with Monaco early in the transfer window, though no new movement has been reported despite links elsewhere. Paris Saint-Germain are believed to be keen to keep Akliouche in Ligue 1.
Meanwhile, the club has already secured two deals: Jeremy Jacquet and Victor Munoz have arrived, with Jacquet’s move agreed during Slot’s tenure. Young centre-back Amara Nallo, sent off on his Champions League debut against PSV Eindhoven and again in a Carabao Cup defeat to Crystal Palace last season, has joined HJK Helsinki on loan. The Finnish club, fifth in their league last season, are led by former Premier League striker Teemu Pukki. Goalkeeper Armin Pecsi has also left on a temporary basis after joining the Reds a year ago.
Iraola, who spent 12 seasons at Athletic Club as a player, sees parallels between his hometown club and Liverpool. “This sense of belonging, of being a little bit different. This connection also, with players from the academy. The atmosphere of Anfield,” he said. “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.”
Liverpool’s pre-season tour of the US begins with a friendly against Sunderland in Nashville on Saturday, followed by matches against Wrexham in New York and Leeds United in Chicago. The new manager has promised fans “a team to be proud of” – but with a winger still on the shopping list, the transfer window may yet deliver more drama.