Andoni Iraola’s bombshell decision to quit Bournemouth has put Newcastle United and Chelsea on alert.
While both teams have serving managers at present, Newcastle boss Eddie Howe and Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior are on shaky ground.
Newcastle in particular have been monitoring Iraola’s impressive achievements with Bournemouth for some time amid uncertainty over the future of Howe, with the Spaniard taking all three points against the Magpies at St James' Park on Saturday.
A run of only one win in seven games, exit from the Champions League and dropping down the Premier League table to 14th place and way out of the reckoning for European football next season has put extra pressure on him.
Newcastle Watching Iraola Developments Closely
Andoni Iraola applauds Bournemouth supporters
With Iraola suddenly announcing his availability this summer after failing to agree a new deal with Bill Foley, the radar at St.James’ Park has been switched on.
Chelsea have been admirers of Iraola, described as 'one of the best managers in the Premier League' by GIVEMESPORT senior reporter Fabrizio Romano, who has been at Bournemouth since 2023 and established the club in the Premier League and even threatened the top four at times.
They appointed Liam Rosenior in January on a six-and-a-half year deal which makes it tough to dump their manager who is struggling to win over the fans following a similar run of form to Newcastle.
Iraola announced on Tuesday that he will be leaving the Cherries at the end of the season.
He has already been linked with Crystal Palace, who fancy him to replace outgoing Oliver Glasner - another coach quitting come the end of May despite winning the FA Cup with the Eagles last season.
But Iraola is aiming higher with bigger clubs such as Newcastle an attractive option.
According to GMS sources, he sees them as an example of stability even though the club has failed to make a consistent breakthrough into the elite of English football since it was taken over by Saudi-backed PIF five years ago.
The owners have been acutely aware of strict spending rules and these have hampered attempts to lure superstar names to the north-east.
Iraola Eyeing Premier League Job or Bilbao Return
Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola watching on from the touchline
Chelsea are always enticing to coaches but the business model of the club is causing friction - particularly among the fanbase who organised protests for Saturday against owners BlueCo.
Iraola, 43, is keeping his options open but has become renowned for his achievements, by massively improving a small club like Bournemouth on limited resources despite losing a steady stream of his top players to bigger teams.
Last season in particular, the energetic brand of football he encourages made Bournemouth hugely popular and successful.
It has been less so since powerful winger Antoine Semenyo joined Manchester City in January, but there is still no danger of relegation.
Iraola will opt for a sizeable Premier League club or go ‘home’ to Athletic Club Bilbao where he played more than 400 games for his next challenge.
Howe and Rosenior have time to turn things around, but Iraola’s shock announcement has piled pressure on the pair even more than before.