Liverpool are expected to begin formal talks with Andoni Iraola this week as they search for a new head coach following the dismissal of Arne Slot.
Slot was sacked on Saturday, just one year after guiding Liverpool to the Premier League title.
Despite securing Champions League qualification, the Reds endured a disappointing second season under the Dutchman, finishing fifth with their lowest points total since 2015-16.
Former Bournemouth manager Iraola has emerged as the leading candidate to replace him, with Liverpool keen to make an appointment quickly.
The 43-year-old Spaniard is highly regarded after leading Bournemouth to the best league finish in their history.
The Cherries ended the campaign sixth, just one place and three points behind Liverpool, and secured qualification for next season’s Europa League.
Iraola confirmed in April that he would leave Bournemouth this summer and has also attracted interest from Crystal Palace and AC Milan.
The decision to part ways with Slot was made by Fenway Sports Group chief executive Michael Edwards and sporting director Richard Hughes.
Liverpool’s hierarchy believe the squad now requires a more front-foot, intense and attacking approach - qualities strongly associated with Iraola’s teams.
Hughes knows Iraola well, having appointed him at Bournemouth while serving as the club’s technical director before moving to Liverpool in 2024.
Liverpool invested heavily last summer in an attempt to retain their Premier League crown, spending £415m on six players - the largest single-window outlay by a British club.
That included a British record £125m deal for Alexander Isak from Newcastle and a £116m move for Bayer Leverkusen playmaker Florian Wirtz.
However, the results did not match the scale of investment.
Liverpool finished 25 points behind champions Arsenal, prompting a rethink at the top of the club.
Iraola, a former Spain international right-back best known for his long playing career at Athletic Bilbao, began his coaching career with AEK Larnaca in Cyprus.
He later impressed in Spain with Mirandes and Rayo Vallecano before moving to Bournemouth in 2023.
Now, after transforming the Cherries into European qualifiers, he could be set for the biggest job of his managerial career at Anfield.
