Liverpool considered surprise Premier League manager as Jurgen Klopp replacement before appointing Arne Slot - Reports

Liverpool had initially identified Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraoli as Jurgen Klopp's replacement last summer, according to The Times. The German manager ended his stay at Anfield at the end of last season after almost nine years with the Reds, who appointed Arne Slot as his replacement.

Klopp initially joined the Merseyside club in October 2015 as Brendan Rodgers' replacement. Under his tutelage, Liverpool won a historic Premier League title, the Champions League, and multiple other trophies.

The German manager won 299 of his 491 games in charge of the Merseyside club, losing 83 and registering a 60.90% win ratio. The Reds considered multiple candidates for the hot seat at Anfield following his departure, including Ruben Amorim, Xabi Alonso and Iraoli.

The Bournemouth manager is considered one of the brightest young managers in world football at the moment. Iraoli arrived at the Vitality Stadium in the summer of 2023 and has been a hit with the Cherries.

The Spaniard has registered 26 wins and 24 defeats in his 65 games with the club so far. Last season, he guided Bournemouth to a 12th-placed finish in the Premier League.

This year, the Cherries have been in impressive form, registering nine wins and five defeats from 20 games. They are seventh in the league table at the moment, three points behind Chelsea in fourth. Liverpool briefly considered Iraoli for the job, before zeroing in on Slot, and that decision has certainly served them well.

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How have Liverpool performed under Arne Slot?

Andoni Iraola

Arne Slot arrived at Liverpool last summer, fresh from helping Feyenoord finish second in the Eredivisie. The Dutch manager was in charge of the club for three seasons, registering 98 wins and 23 defeats from 150 games. Interestingly, his team scored 344 goals during that period.

The Reds decided to bet on Slot and he has lived up to expectations. The Merseyside club have hit a higher gear under their Dutch manager this season.

Liverpool are leading the Premier League title race after 18 games, five points ahead of second-placed Arsenal with two games in hand. They are also at the top of the pile in the Champions League, winning all of their six games so far.

Slot has registered 23 wins from 27 games in charge to date, losing just one. His team have scored 68 goals and conceded just 22 and next face Manchester United in the league on Sunday, January 5.