Read our 2026/27 season preview for Liverpool with Andoni Iraola set to manage his first season in charge at Anfield.
Arne Slot's dismissal came as a surprise to few after the Reds surrendered their Premier League title in passive fashion last campaign, and Iraola will be out to turn the tide on Merseyside.
Key question
Can Andoni Iraola make the step up?
So many managers have tried, and failed, to make the step up from mid-table Premier League teams to the elites of the division.
From David Moyes’ switch from Everton to Manchester United all the way back in 2013 to Graham Potter’s transition from Brighton to Chelsea in 2022, adapting to a club with higher standards and expectations is not straightforward.
But has Andoni Iraola got the capabilities to make the jump from Bournemouth to Liverpool?
The Basque manager guided Bournemouth to their best ever Premier League points tally in the 2024/25 term – finishing ninth with 56 – before bettering that total with 57 in the 2025/26 campaign and qualifying for the Europa League in sixth place – a monumental achievement for a club of the Cherries’ size.
The idea of success on the south coast and on Merseyside is entirely different, however. The Reds have only recorded fewer than 57 points in a top-flight term on one occasion since 1998/99, doing so under the stewardship of Sir Kenny Dalglish in 2011/12 – where they finished eighth with 52 points.
Of course, Iraola will have the funds and backing in place to deliver better results than what he achieved at Bournemouth, but immediate success is essential to win round the devoted Liverpool supporters.
Even in the event of instant accomplishment, the Anfield faithful will still demand more before fully embracing a manager. Ask Arne Slot, who was sacked just a year on from lifting the club’s record-levelling 20th Premier League title.
Key transfer
Jeremy Jacquet
The centre of defence has been a problem area for Liverpool for a number of years. Not necessarily in that the first-choice pairing wasn't up to scratch, but that the lack of depth left them alarmingly light.
Ibrahima Konate's injury woes looked to be behind him last term, starting 36 Premier League games with Virgil van Dijk ever-present, but behind the starting duo was Joe Gomez and the long-term absentee Giovanni Leoni.
The Reds still look light at the back, even with the loan addition of Ronald Araujo and more defensive cover is needed if they're to launch a title challenge, but the £55m addition of Jeremy Jacquet will go a long way to replacing countryman Konate next to Van Dijk
Breakout star
Rio Ngumoha
Chelsea’s inability to retain the services of Cobham graduate Rio Ngumoha could be something that they later come to regret, but for Liverpool, it may prove to be one of their greatest coups in recent years.
His inclusion in England’s pre-World Cup camp in Florida is testament to the quality he possesses at just 17 years old, becoming the the fifth-youngest England debutant when featuring – and winning Player of the Match – in a 1-0 friendly win over New Zealand.
He was scarcely used under the stewardship of Arne Slot in the 2025/26 campaign, playing less than 600 minutes across 19 Premier League games, but he was repeatedly the team’s brightest spark when present and will surely feature more regularly for newly-appointed Reds boss Iraola.
Blessed with electrifying pace and approaching every individual duel with a complete absence of fear, Ngumoha can become the new face of the Liverpool front three following the departure of Mohamed Salah.
What is a good season?
Finishing in the top 4
In an ideal world Liverpool are challenging for the Premier League title on a yearly basis, but it’s unrealistic to expect that under the stewardship of a new manager off the back of a dismal season.
Granted, Slot led the Reds to top-flight glory in his first campaign at Anfield, but he seized a team who – until the latter stages – were in a title race under the direction of club legend Jurgen Klopp just a season prior.
Liverpool are very much still in a rebuilding process. Alexander Isak made just 14 Premier League appearances last season after joining for a Premier League record £125m fee, while Florian Wirtz was unable to hit the ground running following his £116m switch from Bayer Leverkusen.
This, combined with the fact that Iraola will have to handle the departures of Mohamed Salah, Andrew Robertson and Ibrahima Konate – all three of whom were understandably important both on and off the pitch – makes challenging for the Premier League title even more difficult.
A top four finish alone would likely be received poorly amongst Liverpool supporters, but UEFA Champions League qualification alongside a long run in Europe and domestic cup silverware can be considered a good season.
Bold prediction
Andoni Iraola to be replaced within a year
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Liam Williams
When Arne Slot appeared to be on the brink of the sack, everybody assumed Xabi Alonso would be the man to step into the Anfield dugout. But Slot clung on to his job, Liverpool waited until Alonso had moved to Chelsea, and moved for Andoni Iraola instead.
It was a curious decision, with Liverpool presumably wanting more of a head coach rather than a manager in Alonso who’d want too much control.
Richard Hughes and the now-departed Michael Edwards put all their faith in the Bournemouth boss replicating his south coast success on Merseyside.
But this is a huge step up for Iraola. The Spaniard did an excellent job with Bournemouth, but it was a club that bought really well and provided all the tools needed to succeed.
In going to Liverpool, Iraola firstly is joining a club whose transfer record over the last 12 months leaves a lot to be desired and a club that’s lost one of its greatest-ever players.
Iraola has made a name for himself as a coach who installs a chaotic, intense style of football, and there’s no evidence he can replicate that with a team playing in Europe.
The demands of Liverpool are much different to that of Bournemouth, and if Iraola isn’t provided a suitable squad, the Reds may have another difficult decision to make at the end of the season.
Will they be better than last season?
Yes
It’s hard to think how it could get much worse for Liverpool after last season.
There was a hostile aura around the club for much of the campaign. From calls to sack the manager just six months after lifting the Premier League title to internal fallouts that led to the eventual exit of all-time great Salah, it was certainly one to forget.
Iraola will hope to restore a new sense of belief, and – while a dismal 2025/26 term might not suggest it – he has a supremely talented squad at his disposal.
A top four finish – along with improvements from marquee signings like Isak and Wirtz – would qualify as a better campaign for the Reds, and they’re well positioned to achieve it.
