Liverpool's Review: Slot Under Fire as Iraola Talks Begin
Richard Hughes has not waited for the Anfield inquest to begin.
Liverpool’s sporting director has already moved on his long-standing admiration for Andoni Iraola, opening discreet talks with the departing Bournemouth manager as the pressure around Arne Slot tightens, according to reports in England and France.
Slot under fire as Liverpool lose their edge
Liverpool stand on the brink of securing a return to the Champions League. On paper, that should buy a new head coach time. In reality, it has only sharpened the debate.
This is not the Liverpool supporters recognise. The side that once tore teams apart with relentless pressing and waves of attacks now looks dulled, predictable, stripped of its “heavy metal” edge. The mood has darkened quickly.
The flashpoint came against Chelsea earlier this month. When Slot hauled off Rio Ngumoha, the reaction from the Anfield crowd was loud and unmistakable: boos cascading down on the Dutchman. It felt like a line being crossed, the clearest sign yet that a section of the fanbase has turned.
Mohamed Salah then turned up the heat again after the 4-2 defeat at Aston Villa, publicly hinting that Slot has failed to embrace the club’s trademark ferocity without the ball and ambition with it. For a player of Salah’s stature to question the identity of the team cut deep.
Slot has pushed back against the criticism and worked to cool the situation with Salah, insisting he retains the confidence of Fenway Sports Group. But the narrative is slipping away from him, and the boardroom noise is growing.
Iraola talks ‘secretly activated’
Into that tension steps Hughes, a long-time admirer of Iraola from their time together at Bournemouth.
The Express and French outlet Foot Mercato both report that Hughes has “secretly activated” talks with the Basque coach, who has already confirmed he will leave Bournemouth at the end of the season. Crystal Palace have made their move, contacting Iraola about replacing Oliver Glasner this summer, yet they now face heavyweight competition from Anfield.
Liverpool, the reports claim, see Iraola as a “top-quality replacement” for Slot, drawn to both his football and his personality. At 43, he is described as discreet, understated, but absolutely clear in how he wants his teams to play: aggressive, front-foot, attacking.
His sides can press high and dominate the ball. They can attack directly. They can also drop into a compact block and suffer when required. That flexibility has caught Liverpool’s eye.
From the club’s perspective, the timing is almost too neat. Iraola is about to become a free agent just as FSG wrestle with whether to cut short Slot’s reign after a single season. There is no compensation to pay, no messy extraction from another contract. If they decide to act, the path is clean.
Iraola is not alone on the list. FSG, said to be “very concerned” about the team’s regression under Slot, have also shortlisted Julian Nagelsmann, Sebastian Hoeness and Matthias Jaissle. Yet among that group, Iraola currently leads the race.
Romano: Hughes to lead decisive Liverpool review
Fabrizio Romano has underlined how central Hughes will be to whatever happens next.
“I absolutely confirm that there will be an end-of-season review at Liverpool. I can confirm that this will involve everyone at the club,” he said, stressing that Slot’s future will be a key part of the process.
Romano expects a quiet week in terms of decisions. Liverpool want clarity first on their Champions League fate this weekend. Once that is settled, the review begins in full.
The agenda is loaded. Slot’s position will be examined. So will the squad, with expiring contracts and underperforming players on the table. And there is a twist: Al-Hilal are pushing hard to lure Hughes to Saudi Arabia.
Romano’s understanding is that Hughes intends to oversee Liverpool’s summer transfer window and is focused on the job at Anfield, but the interest from Saudi Arabia is “genuine” and not going away. His own future, then, is another thread in a summer of uncertainty.
What is clear is that Hughes will sit at the heart of the review, shaping the verdict on Slot and the direction of the rebuild.
A club on the brink of a big call
Outside the boardroom, the debate rages. Former Liverpool players Steve Nicol and Jermaine Pennant are among those openly questioning whether Slot is the right man to lead the next cycle.
Inside it, the numbers say Champions League qualification is within reach. The performances, the atmosphere, the boos, say something else.
Liverpool now stand at a familiar crossroads: stick with a struggling project and trust that time will restore the spark, or pivot quickly to a coach in Iraola who, on paper, fits the club’s attacking ideals and is there for the taking.
The end-of-season review will deliver the verdict. The only question is whether Slot is still in the dugout when Liverpool next try to play heavy metal football.
