Andoni Iraola arrived in Liverpool on Thursday to finalise the details of his appointment as the club’s new head coach following the dismissal of Arne Slot.

The 43-year-old flew into John Lennon Airport on a private jet from San Sebastián in Spain before being driven away in a silver people carrier shortly after landing.

Iraola is understood to have agreed a two-year contract to succeed Slot, who was sacked last Saturday after a disappointing Premier League title defence.

The Spanish coach was quickly identified as Liverpool’s leading candidate, and negotiations have progressed rapidly after he had already agreed to leave Bournemouth at the end of the season.

Slot had guided Liverpool to a record-equalling 20th English league title in his debut 2024/25 campaign, but was unable to prevent a sharp decline during his second season in charge.

Real Madrid are still weighing up the future of Nico Paz, with the club’s hierarchy leaving the final decision on his potential return from Como to the coaching staff.

The Argentine midfielder, who has impressed during a two-season spell in Italy with Como, is available for a reported €9 million buy-back option. However, Florentino Perez was careful not to guarantee his return when asked about the player’s situation.

“Nico Paz is one of those great talents to come through our academy and today he is among the most highly rated young players in Europe,” Perez said.

“He has had a very good season with Como in Italy and, as you know, we have the option to bring him back this year. We will decide together with the coach and the technical staff.”

The final call is expected to rest with Jose Mourinho and his assistants, who will assess whether the Tenerife-born playmaker fits into their plans for the new project. Mourinho’s appointment was also confirmed as part of Perez’s election campaign messaging, underlining the coach’s influence on squad decisions going forward.