Several options have already been mooted, including ex-managers of both Manchester United and Chelsea. Express Sport have picked out six coaches who could be in line to replace Iraola at Bournemouth.
Starting from least to most likely, Enzo Maresca. If you believe the reports coming out of Manchester City, the Italian is being courted as a potential replacement for Pep Guardiola. However, if that doesn’t materialise for whatever reason, perhaps he fancies his chances at the Vitality Stadium instead. Maresca won’t want to be out of a job for too long, and if Bournemouth qualify for Europe this season, there won’t be many better options available.
While Ruben Amorim is almost certainly not on the shortlist to replace Guardiola at City, he may also be looking for a route back into management. It’s some step down from the pressure of managing United (something the ex-Sporting coach referred to during his stint at Old Trafford) and could be the perfect place for him to rebuild his reputation.
How about a good old manager swap? Eddie Howe is considered somewhat of a club legend on the south coast for his work getting Bournemouth to the Premier League, not once, but twice. However, it feels as if his time with Newcastle could be coming towards an end following a pretty mediocre season. The good news? Newcastle are being linked with a move for Iraola.
A much more realistic option would be Thomas Frank, whose spell as Tottenham boss might’ve been a forgettable one, but the Dane still has credit in the bank from his time with Brentford. Sometimes managers are better suited to extracting more from a perceived ‘smaller’ club and Bournemouth feels like the kind of environment where Frank would flourish.
Every time a managerial opening arises in the Premier League, Edin Terzic’s name is thrown into the ring. Having guided Borussia Dortmund to the Champions League final in 2024, Terzic left the Bundesliga outfit and hasn’t returned to football since. The German is revered as an astute tactician and may finally find his route back into management with Bournemouth.
And then there’s the current front-runner, Kieran McKenna. Currently embroiled in a promotion push with Ipswich Town, McKenna looks likely to be managing in the Premier League one way or another next season. But whether that’s with Ipswich or Bournemouth (or even elsewhere) is a decision to be made in the coming weeks and months. McKenna was reportedly of interest to Chelsea the last time he got Ipswich promoted, and it looks like the Northern Irishman will have suitors once more this summer.