Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola is set to leave at the end of the season, with the Cherries already agreeing to replace the Spaniard with Marco Rose.
Bournemouth agree Marco Rose deal after Andoni Iraola announcement
Rose is about to get his shot at English football.
The 49-year-old, who built his reputation across some of the biggest clubs in the Bundesliga, is closing in on the Bournemouth job — and the timing, despite the circumstances, feels right for everyone involved.
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Marco Rose for RB Leipzig.
Iraola confirmed earlier this week that he will leave the Vitality Stadium when his contract expires this summer, drawing the curtain on a three-year tenure that has transformed the club's standing in the Premier League.
His second full season delivered a ninth-place finish and a new club-record points tally, and he could still cap it all by guiding the Cherries into European competition for the first time in their history before he goes.
That dream is very much alive.
Bournemouth head into this weekend's trip to Newcastle on the back of a stunning 2-1 win at Arsenal, a result that kept their European hopes breathing with six games left to play.
The Spaniard said he does not want to risk losing the feeling of satisfaction he has built over his three seasons on the south coast — a telling admission from a man who has given everything to the role and knows exactly when to walk away.
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Iraola has been strongly linked with the soon-to-be vacant position at Athletic Club in Bilbao, and a return to the Basque Country would make enormous sense both personally and professionally.
He's also been linked with Crystal Palace, but a move to Selhurst Park is seen as unlikely.
The club anticipated Iraola's exit brilliantly, despite their efforts to tie him down, and moved quickly to plan for it.
What Iraola thinks of Rose as Bournemouth seal next manager agreement
According to talkSPORT reporter Ben Jacobs and others, they have already found their man in Rose.
Jacobs reports that an agreement is in place for Rose to take charge next season, with the two parties now in the process of making it official.
marco-rose-rb-leipzig
Marco Rose for RB Leipzig.
No announcement is expected immediately, with the club keen not to let the news overshadow Iraola's preparations for the final stretch of the campaign.
The message from the Vitality is clear: Iraola finishes this job, and Rose starts the next one.
Jacobs also claims that Iraola himself looks up to Rose as a manager, a detail that speaks volumes about the German's standing within the game.
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Rose brings a wealth of experience, having previously managed RB Salzburg, Borussia Mönchengladbach, Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig.
He boasts five seasons of Champions League experience as a coach and has also managed in the Europa League — a significant selling point for a club that is actively trying to reach the continent for the first time.
His track record of talent development is equally compelling.
Rose oversaw the early careers of Erling Haaland, Jude Bellingham, Manuel Akanji and Dominik Szoboszlai — a remarkable collection of players for any CV, and a direct signal to Bournemouth's recruitment model of identifying and nurturing elite young talent.
Dominik Szoboszlai scores for Liverpool
Rose also favours a high-intensity pressing style built on speed and directness (ESPN), which mirrors almost exactly what Iraola has built at the Vitality.
The continuity of philosophy matters enormously to a club that does not want to rip up the blueprint — and there is a personal dimension to the appointment too.
Going off all of this, it appears the Cherries are in safe hands.