Liverpool have now entered the race for a “sensational” Spanish star, who could be Andoni Iraola’s first signing.
Iraola set to replace Slot as Liverpool manager
Arne Slot followed up a Premier League-title winning debut campaign with a trophyless second season, barely scraping into the Champions League places, and the Dutchman was dismissed following the final game, a 1-1 draw against Brentford.
As such, Richard Hughes & co have now commenced work on bringing in a replacement, with Fabrizio Romano revealing Iraola is poised to replace Slot in the Anfield dugout.
Although the Spaniard doesn’t have any experience at one of Europe’s top clubs, he could be an exciting appointment for the Reds, having led Bournemouth to the Europa League with a sixth-place finish in the Premier League.
Andoni Iraola’s AFC Bournemouth record
- 127 matches
- 48 wins
- 38 draws
- 41 losses
- 1.43 points per game
- Sixth-place finish in 2025/26
Should the 43-year-old complete a move to Anfield, he may want to put his own mark on the squad he’ll inherit from Slot, and the Merseyside club are now keen on signing a La Liga star.
Liverpool enter race for “sensational” Spaniard
According to a report from Caught Offside, Liverpool have now burst into the race to sign Atletico Madrid star Marc Pubill, with Premier League rivals Chelsea, and Manchester United also keen, alongside European heavyweights Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona.
However, it could be difficult for any of the aforementioned clubs to get a deal done this summer, with Pubill protected by a release clause of €500m (£433m), which underlines his importance to Atletico.
The centre-back is regarded as a key player by the Spanish side, and he earned a call-up to Spain’s World Cup squad off the back of his performances this season.
Back in December, journalist Jonan Adnan Giæver made it clear he believes the 22-year-old deserves to be selected by Spain boss Luis de la Fuente, saying: “You’d think something really, really strange has happened if Marc Pubill is not part of the Spain squad for the World Cup.
“He is just a sensational central defender. The type of player that is not afraid of the fight, and is not afraid of the ball at his feet either.”
The versatile defender, who is also capable of playing at right-back, averaged a combined 6.5 clearances and blocks per 90 in La Liga, the highest number in the Atletico Madrid squad.
Liverpool need to bring in a new centre-back this summer, with Ibrahima Konate set to leave, and given that he is still very young, Pubill could be an exciting long-term addition to the squad.
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The Reds announced the manager’s departure on Saturday.
