Chelsea contact Andoni Iraola as Man Utd fall behind in race for Bournemouth boss

Andoni Iraola is in high demand after announcing that he will leave Bournemouth at the end of the season and Chelsea have now made their interest known after sacking Liam Rosenior

Chelsea have made the first move in the race to hire Andoni Iraola by contacting the Bournemouth manager’s representatives. Iraola announced earlier this month that he would step down as Cherries boss at the end of the season, putting a host of clubs on notice.

The Spaniard has established a stellar reputation for his work with Bournemouth, who are seventh in the Premier League and in contention to secure European football with four games remaining. He is yet to announce his next move, with Chelsea, Athletic Bilbao, Manchester United and Crystal Palace among the clubs interested in his services.

Chelsea sacked Liam Rosenior last week and, like Athletic Club, United and Palace, will appoint a new manager this summer. Calum McFarlane will continue as interim manager until the end of the season, but the BlueCo chiefs have already taken a step towards finding Rosenior’s long-term successor, football.london reports

The club are understood to have made contact with Iraola’s representatives in an informal manner in order to assess his interest. The Blues have the 43-year-old on a shortlist of options and are yet to move much further in the recruitment process.

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Iraola has already given a public response to the links. Asked whether he would be open to speaking with Chelsea, he replied: “No, I think I said it when I announced I was not continuing here. For me, now, it’s about Bournemouth. Four games. We have an incredible position, (an) incredible fight (ahead).

“(This) past week, you were asking me about other clubs. I don’t know exactly which ones, but also, as a sign of respect for Bournemouth, I cannot talk right now about my future because it’s not what worries the Bournemouth supporters.”

Chelsea have moved faster than United, who are reportedly yet to reach out to potential candidates. The club’s hierarchy, which includes chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox, are in no rush to make a decision on who will succeed Ruben Amorim, with Michael Carrick in the running after winning eight and drawing two of his 12 games as interim boss.

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Iraola is also on United’s radar, although the vacant job at his boyhood side Athletic Club remains a distinct possibility, albeit with local reports stating that Edin Terzic is poised to replace Ernesto Valverde. If the former Borussia Dortmund coach does land that job, then Iraola could move elsewhere in his native Spain.

Previous reports have stated that is keen to move back to the country with his family after the success of three seasons with Bournemouth, where he has secured 12th and ninth-place finishes before this season, despite losing a whole host of key players.

The Cherries are currently unbeaten in their last 14 Premier League matches following the 2-2 draw with Leeds on the weekend. They are occupying the qualification place for the Conference League and face Palace on Sunday, before finishing their season with games against Fulham, Manchester City and Nottingham Forest.

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