Liverpool target Andoni Iraola has three job meetings as club 'want answer in 24 hours'
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SportFootballLiverpool FCAndoni Iraola is the frontrunner to replace Arne Slot as Liverpool manager, but the Reds face competition from Crystal Palace, Bayer Leverkusen and AC MilanLiverpool may face competition from three other clubs in their pursuit of Andoni Iraola. The Reds have confirmed the departure of Arne Slot following two seasons at the club, and Iraola is thought to be the leading candidate to succeed him.Iraola, who left Bournemouth after steering them into the Europa League for the first time in their history, has been touted to replace Slot at Anfield.
The Reds do not, however, have an uncontested path should they pursue his signature.Crystal Palace, Bayer Leverkusen and AC Milan have also been linked with the 43-year-old and are reported to have already conducted discussions with him.Liverpool will probably need to vie with those three if they are to secure Iraola's services at Anfield.According to the Daily Mail, Iraola is the leading contender for the Liverpool position, and he is fully aware of the club's interest in him.It has also been suggested Palace have put forward the role at Selhurst Park to Iraola and are awaiting his answer by the weekend's conclusion, which essentially gives the Spaniard a 24-hour timeframe.Iraola is also believed to have conducted discussions with AC Milan, who recently parted company with Massimiliano Allegri, and Bayer Leverkusen, who parted ways with Erik ten Hag last summer and hired former Denmark manager Kasper Hjulmand in the interim.During his final days at Bournemouth, Iraola sat down with incoming Cherries boss Marco Rose to brief him on the squad and what life on the South Coast entails. With that handover now complete, he may turn his attention towards talks with Liverpool.Iraola has an existing relationship with Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes, given that the Reds chief was the man who lured the Spaniard away from Rayo Vallecano in the first place.FOLLOW OUR LIVERPOOL FC FACEBOOK PAGE!
All the latest news and analysis from Anfield on the Liverpool Echo's dedicated LFC Facebook pageAt the time of his arrival, Iraola was largely unknown in Premier League circles, yet he has since established himself as one of the finest managers in the top flight.He also left Bournemouth boasting, by some considerable margin, the longest unbeaten run in the Premier League this season.The Cherries went 18 Premier League matches without defeat to close out the campaign, their last loss coming on January 3 when they fell 3-2 to Arsenal.Meanwhile, Slot's exit was confirmed after Liverpool's underwhelming Premier League title defence concluded with a fifth-place finish, which was still enough to qualify for the Champions League.Which clubs will move to appoint Slot this summer remains to be seen, although his name has been linked with both AC Milan and Ajax.Choose Liverpool Echo as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.Liverpool FCArne Slot