Andoni Iraola has made telling comments over huge Liverpool transfer as £100m price tag set
New Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola may have already ruled out the signing of a player who has been hotly linked with a move to Anfield.
Iraola was officially unveiled as the new Reds boss last Thursday, replacing Arne Slot.
He has signed a two-year contract with the club, mirroring his own personal policy of only agreeing to short-term deals at the clubs he has managed.
READ MORE: Why Andoni Iraola has only signed a two-year deal at every club including Liverpool
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Iraola has been able to start preparing for his new role right away, having left Bournemouth at the end of last season.
The terms of his departure - the Spaniard was out of contract at Dean Court - meant that compensation was also not an issue for Liverpool chiefs.
The Reds have already been linked with a host of high-profile transfers since Iraola's appointment was confirmed, including Bournemouth winger Rayan.
The Brazil international has a release clause in his contract which is reported to decrease with every passing transfer window, though that only activates in January and is believed to be worth £130 million.
Another player seemingly of interest to Liverpool is fellow Cherries star Eli Junior Kroupi, who scored 13 Premier League goals under Iraola last season in what was his debut campaign in English football.
Kroupi's situation is complex, as Bournemouth have been attempting to issue hands-off warnings to interested clubs for another 12 months after they qualified for the Europa League.
But according to Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal and Manchester City have both made contact with Kroupi's representatives and may swoop a year early.
READ MORE: Arsenal bring forward plan to sign striker by 12 months as personal phone call made
Iraola wanted Kroupi to stay at Bournemouth
Interestingly, Bournemouth's transfer stance surrounding the 19-year-old striker was publicly backed by Iraola, who urged Kroupi to stay on the south coast for another season.
The Spaniard stated that Kroupi possessed 'special things' within his arsenal, but went on to explain how he had needed to work with him on 'other parts' in training.
While the France youth international scored five goals in his last eight matches - all bar one of those being starts - he often came off the bench during the opening months of the campaign.
Iraola told Bournemouth's official website in April: "He has become a much better player for me. I know he had a good start and scored goals, but I try not to talk to him about goals because this is something which is natural and he will always have it.
"So, I have tried to make him focus on other parts and he has improved a lot.
"In the past month, he has allowed us to put out a very offensive line-up because he is giving us the work rate so we can keep it all together and not suffer defensively so much.
"He's still very young and has just arrived into the Premier League, and it's his first season. For sure, I think he will play even more minutes next season and will continue evolving.
"He has a high ceiling, but I think this is the best place for him to continue his evolution."
Topics: Liverpool, Bournemouth, Transfers, Premier League
Ryan Smart