Iraola

Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola wants midfielder Alexis Mac Allister and goalkeeper Alisson to remain at the club.

Argentina international Mac Allister has two years left on the five-year contract he signed at Liverpool when he joined the Reds in 2023.

The 27-year-old has yet to begin talks over a new deal, which has prompted speculation he could leave Anfield this summer.

However, Iraola told a news conference in Chicago at the beginning of Liverpool‘s pre-season tour of the United States that he wants to hang on to the player.

“I think Alexis has been one of the best players at the club for the last few years, and he has had a very good World Cup, so it is normal that other clubs want our best players,” Iraola said.

“It always happens in other markets. But I want to keep my good players. I’m looking forward more to signing new players rather than losing the ones we have here.”

Alisson has a year left on his contract at Anfield and has been linked with a move to Juventus, but Iraola is keen to bank on the 33-year-old Brazilian’s experience in the forthcoming season.

“I’m very happy with the situation we have right now in the goalkeeping area,” explained the Reds boss.

“Alisson is someone also in a changing room that has lost some references in terms of experience, I think he’s someone that definitely will help us in this process of adaptation of the new signings, of the new players, the young players.

“We need the references like Virgil [van Dijk], like Alisson, like Joe Gomez, players that have been here for a long time.”

Iraola acknowledged he has one eye on bringing in defensive reinforcements during the summer transfer window, particularly at right-back given Conor Bradley is “months” away from playing.

The Northern Ireland international sustained a knee injury in January and will not be available for the start of the season.

“At the end, if you have a fully fit, healthy Conor Bradley, we are very happy, ready to go and we would not be asking ourselves these questions,” explained the Spaniard.

“I think it’s a situation that is tricky, because we trust Conor in the long term, we know we want him to be our right-back but right now he is still, I would say, a little bit far from returning.

“So, with the centre-back, with the right-back situation, in terms of defensive depth, we are, I think, very thin right now so I think it’s a solution that we are trying to find, yes.”

Andoni Iraola left his role at Bournemouth at the end of the season and takes over at Liverpool in place of Arne Slot.

Liverpool has named Andoni Iraola as their new manager after sacking Arne Slot following a calamitous Premier League title defence.

Iraola quickly emerged as Liverpool’s top target to replace Slot, whose two-year reign came to a shock end when he was dismissed last Saturday.

Liverpool gave no indication as to the length of the 43-year-old Spaniard’s contract, but British media have reported that he has signed a two-year deal.

“Really excited, really excited, because obviously you know about Liverpool, you know that it’s a big club, a massive club, one of the biggest in the world,” Iraola, who called time on his impressive spell with Bournemouth at the end of this season, said on Liverpool’s official website on Thursday.

“But feeling inside and understanding a little bit more of this club, I always thought it’s a special club.

“You don’t need a lot of things to get attracted by Liverpool. Liverpool is Liverpool.”

After criticism of Liverpool’s lacklustre performances in Slot’s second season at Anfield, Iraola is expected to deliver a more urgent, aggressive style of football, which characterised the team under beloved former manager Jurgen Klopp.

Iraola earned rave reviews for Bournemouth’s sixth-place finish in England’s Premier League this season, which secured the club’s first qualification for Europe, in the Europa League.

He arrived at the south coast club from Raya Vallecano in 2023, having previously managed Mirandes and AEK Larnaca in Cyprus.

Bournemouth improved each year under Iraola, finishing 12th, ninth and sixth.

The former defender was praised for his astute tactics and development of youngsters including Eli Junior Kroupi and Alex Scott.

Prior to leaving Liverpool at the end of the season, Egypt star Mohamed Salah recently called for a return to the “heavy metal football” that led to so much success under Klopp, heaping pressure on the beleaguered Slot.

Iraola has previously talked about his desire for his teams to play with an attacking, high-pressing style, in contrast to Slot’s more controlled approach.

Born in Spain’s Basque Country, Iraola played more than 500 games for Athletic Bilbao before a stint in Major League Soccer with New York City, where he teamed up with Frank Lampard and Andrea Pirlo.

He will arrive on Merseyside with Liverpool at a crossroads after Slot’s failure to maintain the club’s position at the summit of English football.

Slot had the tough task of replacing Klopp, who left in 2024 after winning the Premier League and Champions League during a golden nine-year spell at Anfield.

The former Feyenoord boss made a strong start, leading Liverpool to a record-equalling 20th English league title in his debut season, spearheaded by Salah’s 29 goals.

But Slot was unable to halt Liverpool’s slide in the 2025-26 season as the Reds collapsed from late September onward, finishing a turbulent season without a trophy.

The death of Liverpool forward Diogo Jota in a car crash last July had an immeasurable impact on the squad, while the club’s  450-million-pound ($605m) splurge on new signings failed to pay off.

Slot’s relationship with Salah also deteriorated, while Liverpool fans turned on the manager due to his team’s lifeless displays and poor results.

The club limped to a fifth-place finish, 25 points behind champions Arsenal, which at least guaranteed qualification for next season’s Champions League.

Liverpool are in advanced talks with Andoni Iraola as they look to appoint a new head coach following the sacking of Arne Slot.

Iraola left Bournemouth at the end of the season and is the clear favourite for the role at Anfield.

Liverpool are keen to make an appointment at the earliest possible opportunity and want a manager who fits their preferred playing style, which is to deliver front-foot, aggressive football.

No approaches have yet been made with regard to Iraola’s potential coaching staff, but the 43-year-old Spaniard is keen on bringing his assistant at Bournemouth, Tommy Elphick, a lifelong Liverpool fan, with him.

BBC Sport understands that Elphick has had no contact yet from the Reds but would be interested in the opportunity.

The former Bournemouth centre-back, 38, turned down the opportunity to become the Bristol City manager last week in order to assess his other options.

The hiring process at Anfield is being led by Richard Hughes, Liverpool‘s sporting director, who previously worked with Iraola at the Cherries.

The Reds sacked Slot on Saturday, just a year after the Dutchman guided them to the Premier League title.

Aston Villa winger Morgan Rogers is a target for Arsenal and PSG, Real Madrid’s interest in Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice increases, Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson wants Juventus move.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has set his sights on Aston Villa‘s England winger Morgan Rogers, 23, as he bids to build on their Premier League title success although Champions League winners Paris St-Germain are also interested. (Mirror), external

Key figures at Real Madrid’s recruitment team are urging the club to pursue a move for Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice having been impressed by the 27-year-old England international’s leadership, physicality and technical qualities. (Teamtalk), external

Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson, 33, plans to tell the club’s new manager that he wants to end his time at Anfield and join Juventus. (Gazzetta dello Sport – in Italian), external

Manchester United are closing in on an agreement to sign Brazilian midfielder Ederson, 26, from Atalanta for a fee of around £35m. (Talksport), external

Portugal midfielder Joao Palhinha, 30, does not want to make his loan from Bayern Munich to Tottenham a permanent one and will try to engineer a move to Sporting instead. (A Bola – in Portuguese), external

Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham, Liverpool and Newcastle are all interested in AC Milan’s Portuguese winger Rafael Leao with the 26-year-old keen to leave San Siro this summer. (Calciomercato – in Italian), external

Paris St-Germain have cooled their interest in Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez but the 26-year-old Argentina international is still on the radar of Arsenal and Barcelona. (Mundo Deportivo – in Spanish), external

Manchester United defender Harry Maguire has been offered to Inter Milan but the Italian club do not see signing the 33-year-old Englishman as a priority. (Gazzetta dello Sport via Football Italia), external

Portugal midfielder Bernardo Silva, 31, is keen to join Barcelona with his contract at Manchester City set to expire imminently. (Mundo Deportivo – in Spanish), external

Brighton will face competition from Hoffenheim and Eintracht Frankfurt for the signature of Wolfsburg’s 25-year-old Austrian winger Patrick Wimmer. (Florian Plettenberg), external

Crystal Palace have held another round of talks with highly-rated Lens manager Pierre Sage. (Mail), external

Como boss Cesc Fabregas is happy with the Italian club despite links with coaching jobs elsewhere, including Real Madrid. (Sport – in Spanish), external