AC Milan are moving forward with Andoni Iraola and they hope to get everything agreed with the potential new head coach soon.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below), Gerry Cardinale and his advisors Massimo Calvelli and Zlatan Ibrahimovic have decided to speed up the process to beat the competition and convince Iraola to join Milan.
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A three or two-year contract is on the table, with a renewal if the club qualifies for the Champions League, starting at a salary of more than €3m net per year plus bonuses. However, time is running out and the Rossoneri are concerned about the pressure from Crystal Palace.
Andoni the man
Iraola is coming off a fantastic season with Bournemouth who finished sixth in the Premier League. It has been almost linear progression: the Cherries finished 12th in 2023-24, ninth in 2024-25, before securing a Europa League spot for the first time in their history.
His family is happy in England, and this could be a plus for his move to Crystal Palace. However, Milan’s ambitions are greater than Palace’s, and the Basque coach knows this well. That’s why Cardinale is trying.
The first contact with Iraola took place a month ago with the new ex-CEO Giorgio Furlani and the ex-technical director Geoffrey Moncada. Two weeks ago he met in London with Cardinale and Ibrahimovic, who expressed their admiration for him.
In the next few hours, a new meeting is scheduled with the management, who will try to bear the competition once and for all. They won’t be able to make million-dollar promises regarding budget because the financial side must be protected without Champions League revenues.
However, as happened last May when Allegri was hired, Iraola will be offered a project to consolidate the team’s foundation with key signings over the next two years. He will be assured of significant ‘protection’ in case of difficulties.
Iraola will have to do the rest, bringing the attacking and aggressive style of football that has characterised his career so far. Iraola is a frontrunner to succeed Allegri, but he’s not the only candidate in the running.
Having already mentioned Glasner who is also a name on the list, the candidacies of Xavi (who has shown some signs of openness through his entourage) and Mauricio Pochettino shouldn’t be ruled out.
Unai Emery remains a distant dream because Aston Villa are a Champions League club and he is one of the best paid managers in the world, thanks to the trophies he’s won throughout his career.