Manchester United have had a tremendous turnaround under interim manager Michael Carrick, and they are on course for Champions League qualification.
The Red Devils are placed third in the Premier League with 55 points, seven ahead of sixth-placed Chelsea, whom they face on the road this weekend.
The club are yet to decide on their permanent head coach, and a decision could be delayed until the summer.
Carrick looks a clear frontrunner for the vacancy, but the scenario could yet change based on the club’s results between now until the end of the campaign.
United have been the subject of dubious refereeing decisions over the last two league matches, where they have picked up a draw and a loss respectively.
The Red Devils are still on course for Champions League qualification, and the onus should be on finishing as high as possible (third) while achieving that objective.
If United were to stumble over the line with a fifth-place finish in the league, questions could be raised about whether Carrick is the right man for the position.
In our view, the hierarchy could have an eye on Iraola, who has become one of the most coveted football managers in Europe on the back of his Bournemouth spell.
The 43-year-old has confirmed that he will formally part ways with the Cherries after a three-year stint, and he is bound to attract plenty of high-profile interest.
United could consider appointing him, given his good track record against the Premier League’s elite.
Iraola has guided the Cherries to three wins over Arsenal in the last four meetings. They have also beaten Liverpool this term, while sharing the spoils against Chelsea and Manchester United, home and away.
Iraola has adopted an aggressive and front-footed pressing approach rather than seeking to curb the opposition with low defensive blocks, as has been the case with most mid-table clubs in the division.
Bournemouth have made a staggering 140 recoveries in the final third, leading to shots this term. This is the highest in the league. The Cherries ranked 18th in the same department prior to Iraola’s arrival.
Iraola has also been at the forefront of player development. His playing style brought the best out of centre-back Dean Huijsen in his only season at the Cherries before his move to Real Madrid.
Ryan Christie, for example, started off as a right-sided midfielder, but he was brought into a deeper role under Iraola. The Scotsman has since been transformed into a terrific ball-winning midfielder.
Antoine Semenyo is another who had a tremendous career upturn before his mid-season move to Manchester City. Iraola’s track record of getting the best out of his players certainly holds well.
If United were to consider a different solution to Carrick for the manager’s job, Iraola could emerge as a strong candidate based on the progress made with the Cherries despite selling key players.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com