3 Bournemouth players Liverpool could sign with Iraola

Andoni Iraola is the frontrunner to become Liverpool’s next manager following Arne Slot’s sacking, and three players from his former club Bournemouth have been identified as potential summer targets that could follow the Spaniard to Anfield this summer.

Liverpool’s 2025/26 season exposed significant problems beyond the managerial level. The midfield struggled badly in Slot’s second year, with Dominik Szoboszlai being used at right-back to address a positional crisis, leaving Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch exposed in central areas where they were regularly overrun and overpowered. The club need running power and passing quality in the middle of the park, more creative threat from wide positions to replace the output lost with Mohamed Salah, and squad depth following a summer of recruitment that failed to deliver the expected returns.

Iraola developed strong relationships with his Bournemouth players during three years on the south coast, and Liverpool may look to take advantage of those existing connections as they rebuild under their incoming manager.

Rayan

The Brazilian winger Liverpool already tracked

Liverpool were reportedly linked with Rayan when the 19-year-old Brazilian international was still at Vasco de Gama, and his move to Bournemouth in January has given them an extended look at a player they already had on their radar. A versatile wide player who is also comfortable operating in more central areas, Rayan has the physical tools to thrive in the Premier League and has already demonstrated an ability to adapt quickly to English football.

With Salah unlikely to reverse his decision to leave and RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande representing a significant financial risk at a reported valuation of €130 million, Rayan offers a potentially cheaper and lower-risk alternative for a club that has already seen two expensive summer signings underwhelm in their debut campaigns. Bournemouth have made clear their desire to retain the young Brazilian, which will complicate any approach Liverpool make.

Alex Scott

The Bournemouth midfielder Liverpool need

Liverpool’s midfield was arguably their biggest problem area in 2025/26, and Alex Scott is the player most directly positioned to address it. An England international in waiting, Scott is primarily a carrier and runner rather than a pure passer, but he brings line-breaking ability and counter-attacking thrust that Liverpool’s engine room badly lacked last season.

Scott developed significantly under Iraola’s management, and if there is one player the Spaniard would be most tempted to bring with him to Anfield, he is the most obvious candidate. The combination of genuine Premier League experience, England international potential and an existing relationship with the incoming manager makes him a logical target for a club that identified midfield running power as one of their primary recruitment needs heading into this window.

Eli Junior Kroupi

The record-breaker Liverpool probably should not sign

Kroupi’s debut Premier League season has been extraordinary. The 19-year-old French youth international scored 13 goals in the top flight, the highest total by any teenager in their debut Premier League campaign, surpassing records previously held by Robbie Fowler and Robbie Keane. His goals came against Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United, making him the first teenager to score against all three clubs finishing in the top three in a single season.

Despite those numbers, the case for Liverpool signing Kroupi is unconvincing. With striker Hugo Ekitike suffering a devastating Achilles injury in April and Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz already in the squad, Liverpool’s forward areas are not their most pressing concern. Kroupi is a sharpshooting second-striker who would want a guaranteed starting role if he leaves Bournemouth, something Liverpool currently cannot promise him. The interest from Arsenal and other Big Six clubs may well be where this story ends, with Liverpool better served directing their resources toward the midfield and wide positions that more urgently need addressing.