Andoni Iraola's next job is no longer just a summer talking point. He is weighing up Liverpool, Crystal Palace and Bayer Leverkusen, with reports saying he prefers to stay in the Premier League but has not made a final call. Bournemouth finished 6th in the Premier League with 56 points from 37 matches, while Crystal Palace are 15th on 45 points from 37 and Bayer Leverkusen are 6th in the Bundesliga with 59 points from 34.
Why the race is open
Iraola has made the timing pretty clear. Speaking to Mirror, he said: "I don't know where I am going. I think it is a moment where we will have to take our time and make decisions. Obviously it's not going to be long because teams have to sign managers. Now is the moment where we will take decisions."
That leaves room for all three clubs. The Premier League pull is obvious from the reporting, but Leverkusen stay in the picture because Iraola also said: "Marco Rose's Gladbach was one of my favourite teams. I really like German football because as a spectator I love it when things happen."
Why Liverpool are in the conversation
The Liverpool case has been pushed hardest by Jamie Redknapp, who called Iraola's style "amazing" and said it is "exactly what Liverpool fans want". He also said he does not see the jump from Bournemouth to Liverpool as a problem, and praised the way Iraola has helped players improve.
That matters because Bournemouth's 6th-place finish was not a small overachievement. It was a season that put them in Europe, and that is the clearest evidence in the brief that Iraola has a case for a bigger job. Liverpool are still a demanding role, but the argument for him is based on what he has already done at Bournemouth, not wishful thinking.
The open question is which club can sell him the clearest project. Right now, that looks like the real decision point, and it is one all three clubs will want settled quickly.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →
