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.
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.
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).
Want more Empire of the Kop coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trust
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.
Welcome to our Live Comments section, where new comments will appear automatically
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Notify me of follow-up comments by email.
Notify me of new posts by email.
