Liverpool’s prospects of appointing Andoni Iraola as their next head coach appear to have been handed an indirect boost by another reported contender for the Spaniard pivoting towards an alternative candidate.
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Shortly after leaving Bournemouth, the 43-year-old has emerged as the early favourite to take over at Anfield, where there’s now a vacancy in the dugout after the dismissal of Arne Slot on Saturday.
He’s unsurprisingly been sought after by several other clubs with head coach positions to fill, but one of those who’d reportedly been in the frame has seemingly now turned their attention elsewhere.
Palace in talks with Sage as Iraola ‘expected to join’ Liverpool
According to the Daily Mail on Sunday morning, Crystal Palace are exploring a move for Lens boss Pierre Sage, with their ‘first choice’ Iraola now ‘expected to join’ Liverpool.
The former Bournemouth coach had initially been the ‘main target’ at Selhurst Park, but the Eagles hierarchy have instead opened talks with the Frenchman over the past 24 hours as they seek a successor to Oliver Glasner off the back of their Conference League triumph.
Coincidentally, Sage has been named as one of the alternative options to Iraola who’s under consideration at Anfield (The Athletic).
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Could Liverpool’s pathway to Iraola now be clearer?
In addition to Palace, Iraola had also been touted as a prospective option for AC Milan (Liverpool Echo), but the Eagles’ talks with the Lens coach would appear to give Liverpool a clearer run at the Spaniard.
Sage’s own credentials are quite impressive, with his team winning the Coupe de France and keeping Paris Saint-Germain honest in the Ligue 1 title race right up to the final weeks of the season before ultimately finishing as runners-up.
It’s therefore no surprise that he’s a man in demand, but with the Eagles actively pursuing him, it appears to be an admission on their part that Iraola’s heart seems set on Anfield.
The 43-year-old is understood to be ‘interested’ in potentially managing the Reds, and now that he’s unattached after his Bournemouth exit, there seems no reason for FSG not to try and get his prospective appointment finalised quickly.
If they can do so in the next few days, it’d give the new head coach effectively the entire summer to liaise with Richard Hughes on transfer targets and get his tactical ideas in place for a full pre-season before the Premier League recommences in August.
Crystal palace will do good with sage as he deploys a back 3, similar to glasner. Not sure if we will hire iraola but all the signs seem to suggest we will. Hughes will give him all the support and we should expect to see good things happening.
lraola would be very good appointment full stop
We shall soon see, it’s all about opinions, everyone will have their say on Iraola. Funny how fans are saying he’s the perfect fit for Liverpool.
No doubt these Same people were saying the same over Rodgers and slot.
If you look at both manager’s Iraola and Glasner who would you say has done more to get the Liverpool job.
Glasner has won the fa cup, the community shield and the conference league in just two years. He also won the Europa league with Frankfurt.
What a turnaround from Hodgson. And he’s had sell his best players. For me that’s a far better CV than Iraola has with Bournemouth.
If only football could be this certain. Iraola a very good appointment full stop. The perfect fit for Liverpool.
Through the history of football and the premier league, we’ve seen lots of managers do well at lesser clubs, but once they go to a big club it all falls apart.
The worst thing that could happen to Liverpool football club is in a few months time we are back in the same boat as we were with slot.
A manager that’s not an elite coach. Out of his depth.