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Liverpool are in the running to land Andoni Iraola as their new manager as a big Arne Slot condition has been revealed amid a report claiming the Bournemouth boss is \u2018close to an agreement\u2019 with his next club.<\/p>\n
Iraola has opted to step down from Bournemouth at the end of the season and could conceivably leave the Cherries with Champions League football as a remarkable parting gift.<\/p>\n
They currently sit sixth in the Premier League, which will be enough to secure Champions League football if Aston Villa remain fifth and win the Europa League.<\/p>\n
Unai Emery\u2019s side are strong favourites to win the gong after securing a clash with Freiburg in the final having destroyed Nottingham Forest on Thursday<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Iraola is thought to be one of the \u2018leading candidates\u2019<\/strong> to take over at Chelsea after the Blues sacked Liam Rosenior last month and put Calum McFarlane back in interim charge until the end of the season.<\/p>\n He\u2019s thought to be \u2018open\u2019 to the idea of leading Chelsea and is keen to stay in the Premier League, but Crystal Palace are also in the frame as they seek a replacement for Oliver Glasner, who has set up the prospect of the perfect goodbye<\/strong> after guiding the Eagles to their second major final in a year.<\/p>\n Spanish outlet The Chiringuito<\/em> \u2013 not a typically reliable source \u2013 claimed this week that Iraola is \u2018close to an agreement\u2019 with Palace and that he\u2019s been presented with a lucrative offer to take over at Selhurst Park.<\/p>\n Journalist Ben Jacobs moved to put those rumours to bed, insisting it remains an \u2018open race\u2019 for Iraola.<\/p>\n He told Give Me Sport<\/em><\/strong>: \u201cNow, we\u2019ve heard some reports in the last 24 hours saying that Crystal Palace are or advancing on Iraola. That\u2019s not my understanding. It\u2019s an open race and as it stands, no agreement between Iraola and Crystal Palace. Even though he\u2019s kind of a dream choice for the Eagles.<\/p>\n \u201cThere would of course be other suitors, Iraola is prepared to stay in England.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd out of respect to Bournemouth, he wants to finish the season and then make a decision as to what is next. And Chelsea are expected to be a genuine suitor.\u201d<\/p>\n The Reds have consistently insisted that Slot will remain in charge next season no matter what having won the title last season and with excuses for their dramatic drop-off this term featuring injury problems and their \u00a3450m-worth of new signings struggling to adapt.<\/p>\n But The i Paper<\/em> have claimed<\/strong> that Iraola \u201cwould be among the candidates considered if (and it\u2019s a big if) Slot goes\u201d at the end of the season.<\/p>\n READ MORE: Andoni Iraola would be mad *not* to accept Chelsea job thanks to BlueCo<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/div>\nLiverpool could throw a spanner in the works<\/h2>\n