Set to replace Slot? 

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Liverpool’s preparations for next season began dramatically late last week, when the Anfield club chose the day of the Champions League final to announce the departure of manager Arne Slot. Although few were entirely surprised at the Dutch tactician’s departure from Liverpool, following 12 defeats in 38 Premier League games this season, reports over who the club will turn to as their new manager have raised some eyebrows. As reported by the Times and multiple other sources in the English press, Liverpool have now begun formal talks with former Bournemouth head coach Andoni Iraola, who departed the south-coast club at the end of the season.

Iraola undoubtedly departs Bournemouth with a huge amount of praise from the club’s fanbase, having taken them to unprecedented levels of success during his three years at the club. However, having coached Rayo Vallecano in Spain before his move to the Premier League, the 43-year-old tactician would be making the move to Liverpool with no prior experience either as a player or a coach at a top-tier club in Europe. So what attracts the Anfield club to Bournemouth’s former manager? One stat in particular may explain the imminent appointment.

While Iraola will have a number of stats to fall back on during his time with the Cherries – not least this season’s remarkable sixth-place finish in the English top-flight – but what may impress the decision-makers at Anfield the most is the manner in which Iraola has clearly and consistently improved and developed young talent at Bournemouth during each of his three seasons at the club. Indeed, when we consider Bournemouth’s overall squad market value when the Spaniard took over in the summer of 2023, it stood at €253.2m – which was the fourth-lowest figure among all Premier League clubs. However, that figure has risen steadily during Iraola’s time at the club and now stands at €507.1m, which is the 12th highest in the English top-flight.

What’s so impressive about those two numbers is that they equate to a €253.8m increase in squad market value during Iraola’s time at the Vitality Stadium. That figure is the second-highest increase in squad market value in the entire Premier League during the Spaniard’s three years at Bournemouth, bested only by recently-promoted Sunderland, who have clearly benefited from joining the top-flight and a remarkable spending spree on new players this season. But, notably, Bournemouth have outperformed all other so-called “smart clubs”, such as Brighton (+€67m), Brentford (+€136m) and Crystal Palace (+€253m) in that period of time, as Iraola has continued to not only replace the constant procession of star players sold each summer but also taken young stars to new heights.

Some obvious examples immediately come to mind with regard to young players who have blossomed under Iraola’s tutelage. Whether it be Veljko Milosavljevic (+€19m in market value since making his Bournemouth debut), Alex Scott (+€20m), or most notably Junior Kroupi (+€25m), the Cherries squad is stacked full of young talents that have earned their Premier League stripes under the Spaniard and are now bona fide stars in the English top-flight. And, perhaps most notably, that stands in stark contrast to how Liverpool’s main players have performed under Slot over the course of the last 12 months.

While Bournemouth have enjoyed skyrocketing market value rises this season, it’s been an entirely different story at Liverpool. Ahead of this week’s Premier League market value update, four of the top 10 biggest market value decreases in the league this season are for Liverpool players. Some, such as Mohamed Salah (-€20m) and Alexander Isak (-€20m), are either down to age or unfortunate injuries, but players like Alexis Mac Allister (-€20m) and Florian Wirtz (-€30m) either plateaued or failed to thrive at all under the Dutch manager this season. As such, Liverpool’s main priority for their next manager will not only be winning matches, but also developing the young stars in their squad who undoubtedly need to dramatically improve next season. Perhaps, Iraola could be the perfect man for the job.