Andoni Iraola confirmed his decision to leave Bournemouth at the end of the season this week.
Reactions online haven’t been very surprised, given that the Spaniard’s stock has risen exponentially at Bournemouth.
In a Premier League often criticised as homogenous in style, Iraola established an energetic, intense, effective style of play with a club that had narrowly avoided relegation prior to his arrival.
Celtic fans online have called for the Parkhead hierarchy to hire the 43-year-old as an “ambitious” option that would show “common sense”… this couldn’t be more detached from reality.
I want the next manager of Celtic to be…
Martin O'Neill reacts to a decision made by a Celtic player against Dundee United
Credit: Ian MacNicol/Getty Images
Andoni Iraola is miles out of Celtic’s reach
Some have pointed to Iraola’s salary at Bournemouth, which currently amounts to £1.5 million a year.
Celtic could, in theory, afford this – but if his next move is motivated by money, it absolutely will not be to Glasgow.
READ MORE:Celtic banner spotted in PSG end at Champions League win over Liverpool
AFC Bournemouth Training Session
Photo by Robin Jones – AFC Bournemouth/AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images
MORE CELTIC STORIES
Everyone knows that Celtic dwarf Bournemouth in terms of size and history. But the financial gap is completely flipped the other way around.
In the last 12 months, they have sold Dean Huijsen to Real Madrid, Ilya Zabarnyi to PSG, Milos Kerkez to Liverpool and Antoine Semenyo to Manchester City, all for a combined total of £211 million. This is a club in a different stratosphere to Celtic in modern terms.
Iraola instantly becomes a candidate for almost all managerial jobs in world football. Current Bayern Munich boss Vincent Kompany was taken from Burnley.
The Cherries boss reportedly has admirers at Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea… and that’s just in the Premier League.
Iraola made over 500 appearances for Athletic Club as a player. The hotseat at San Mames will be vacated by Ernesto Valverde. At the moment, it certainly feels that this would be his most likely destination.
Regardless of where he ends up, the point is that the Basque coach will have his sights set well above Scottish football having established himself already in La Liga and the Premier League by the age of 43.
It was reported that Iraola applied for the job at Celtic in 2023, shortly after coming close to joining Leeds… but his stock has risen exponentially since then.
Has Scott Brown completely misread the room here?
Let us know in the comments!
Scott Brown looks on prior to the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 League Phase MD8 match between Celtic FC and FC Utrecht at Celtic Park on January 29, 2026 in Glasgow,
Who will be Celtic’s next manager then?
With no indication so far that Martin O’Neill is hoping to stay on, Celtic’s search for a mangaer is expected to ramp up over the next few weeks.
As it stands, Robbie Keane is the frontrunner. He is, in fact, the only manager to have been named as a serious contender in the media.
Jens Berthel Askou, Craig Bellamy and Roberto Martinez have all also been mentioned, but for various reasons, none of the trio look like realistic contenders at the moment.
Should Keane be the chosen one, he will be the fourth Irishman of the last seven Celtic managers.
Join Our Newsletter
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox