Where next for Andoni Iraola after Bournemouth boss confirms Cherries exit?

The expected managerial merry-go-round this summer has been fuelled by the news that Andoni Iraola will reportedly leave Bournemouth at the end of the season after failing to agree a new deal with the South Coast club. 

BBC Sport has suggested that talks between the Spanish boss and the Cherries have proved unsuccessful, and he will now end his three-year reign at the club at the culmination of the campaign. 

In those three seasons, Iraola has improved year-on-year with Bournemouth, taking the club to their highest-ever Premier League finish and on the cusp of European football. 

This season, his side is currently on a 12-match unbeaten run, and the news comes just days after the club's 2-1 win over league leaders Arsenal. 

So, with the 43-year-old's departure all but confirmed, where could he most likely end up next? DAZN News looks at some possible options. 

Manchester United 

Get ready for the most obvious link, and that is the vacancy at Old Trafford, where Iraloa has been a constant name in the mix since Ruben Amorim's exit. 

Michael Carrick took over the reins in January and has performed admirably in calming down the chaos at United and moving the team into pole position to return to the Champions League next season.

Yet, there's been no backing or noise coming from the owners over their intentions at the end of the season and whether Carrick is even in the running to be the permanent boss. 

In Iraloa, they'll see an up-and-coming manager who's clearly earned his stripes at Bournemouth and who is primed and ready for the next stage. 

However, is the Spaniard ready for the baggage and pressure cooker that comes with the Red Devils job? We've already seen it swallow up bright young managers, and right now, sticking with someone who knows the club, like Carrick, may be the best approach rather than derailing another bright boss and the reputation he's built. 

Neal Simpson / Getty Images

Manchester City 

Put those eyebrows down, because there is still an air of uncertainty on the blue side of Manchester, too, where rumours of Pep Guardiola hanging up his turtle-neck won't go away. 

If he were to land another league title, would that be the ideal moment to swan off into the sunset and let his City evolution continue under somebody fresh? And, in Iraola, someone else who shares some of the same style and values as him? 

The two Spaniards are open to the influence Marcelo Bielsa has had on their coaching methods. Still, Iraola has shown his way of playing to be more intense, especially in turnovers, and his methods could be the ideal transition for a City team moving into a new generation. 

Athletic Bilbao 

There is some belief that Iraola's family wishes have had some play in the decision to leave Bournemouth, especially with the post at Athletic Bilbao up for grabs this summer. 

It's a club that is close to the manager's heart, having played over 400 games for the Basque side and widely regarded as one of the best defenders to play for the Spanish side. 

With Ernesto Valverde already confirmed to be ending his latest stint in charge at the end of the season, it's almost poetic that Iraola could be the man to replace him in the hot seat. 

It may not be the 'elite' move that many expected from the Cherries manager's next move, but Bilbao are perennial European contenders, and the opportunity to take his club to the next level may be too good to turn down. 

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Real Madrid 

However, if a return home is on the cards, would Andoi Iraola fancy a shot at one of the very big jobs and another that is open for applications this summer? 

Xabi Alonso, another young boss, failed to stamp his way on the famous club this season, but there's nothing to suggest that Iraola couldn't succeed at the Bernabeu. 

Their failures in La Liga and the Champions League suggest that pressure is already mounting on Alvaro Arbeola, despite signing a contract until the summer of 2027. 

If Madrid were to pull the trigger, then an out-of-work Iraola would certainly be a candidate for the job, given what he's done at Bournemouth and the style he would implement in the Spanish capital. 

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