Liverpool’s search for a new manager has intensified following the dismissal of Arne Slot, with RC Lens head coach Pierre Sage emerging as a serious contender for the Anfield hot seat. Manchester City playmaker Rayan Cherki, who worked under Sage at Olympique Lyonnais, has previously hailed the Frenchman as a tactical genius capable of restoring harmony to fractured dressing rooms. Those credentials may prove invaluable as Liverpool look to rebuild after a turbulent campaign that saw them finish fifth in the Premier League, barely securing Champions League qualification on the final day of the season.
Slot’s departure comes just two years after his arrival from Feyenoord, despite guiding Liverpool to the Premier League title in his debut season. Yet a dramatic collapse in form, coupled with a very public falling out between the Dutchman and club icon Mohamed Salah, has prompted the Anfield hierarchy to act decisively. Salah is widely expected to leave the club this summer, adding further urgency to finding a manager who can navigate the political complexities of elite football while delivering results on the pitch.
Sage, 47, has compiled an impressive resume at Lens, steering the club to their first ever Coupe de France trophy and a second place finish in Ligue 1 that secured Champions League football. More significantly for Liverpool’s purposes, Cherki has spoken glowingly about Sage’s ability to manage personalities and extract maximum performance from talented but temperamental players. Speaking to L’Equipe during his time at Lyon, Cherki explained that Sage brought back the serenity the squad desperately needed, describing a manager who understands how players feel and communicates with authenticity rather than pretense.
Cherki’s endorsement carries weight given his own reputation as a player who has not always enjoyed smooth relationships with coaching staff throughout his career. Yet with Sage, the City midfielder found a manager capable of unlocking his best performances through a combination of tactical clarity and emotional intelligence. Cherki told RMC Sport that Sage knows how to push his buttons and get the best out of him, providing creative freedom within a clearly defined tactical framework while maintaining defensive accountability. That balance between structure and expression mirrors the philosophy Liverpool have traditionally embraced.
What makes Sage particularly intriguing is his relatively limited first team experience before taking charge at Lyon, yet Cherki was quick to dismiss any doubts about his tactical acumen. Speaking to Le Progrès, Cherki described Sage as someone who prepares matches down to the millimetre, ensuring players know exactly where spaces will appear and how to exploit them. According to Cherki, Sage makes football simpler for his players through meticulous preparation, a quality that would serve him well in the pressure cooker environment of Anfield where expectations remain sky high despite recent setbacks.
Liverpool’s shortlist also includes former Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola, who is understood to be the frontrunner after guiding the Cherries to European qualification for the first time in their history. Iraola has attracted interest from Crystal Palace, AC Milan and Bayer Leverkusen, though Liverpool reportedly lead the race for his signature. Former Stuttgart manager Sebastian Hoeness rounds out the reported candidates as the club weighs its options. Whoever emerges from this process will inherit a squad in transition, facing the likely departure of one of the Premier League’s greatest ever players and the challenge of restoring Liverpool to the summit of English football after a season of dysfunction and underachievement.
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