Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola in demand! LaLiga club set sights on landing high-flying Cherries manager as they plot succession plan

After spending just two-and-a-half years in Bournemouth, Iraola has already become a crowd favourite for the success he has attained at the Cherries. His stock has only risen after the Cherries' consistent performances in his first two seasons, where they finished 12th and ninth in the Premier League.

After finishing among the top 10 teams in the Premier League last season, Bournemouth dealt with a setback as three out of their four first team defenders departed the club in the summer transfer window, including star centre-back Dean Huijsen to Real Madrid and full-back Milos Kerkez to Liverpool. However, despite losing a host of their stars, Iraola has guided Bournemouth to a strong start in the 2025-26 campaign as they are occupying the second position in the league table with 18 points from the first nine matches, where they have won five and lost just one game.

According to La Razon, La Liga side Athletic Club are plotting a succession plan as veteran coach Ernesto Valverde is all set to exit the team next summer. Valverde, 61, is in the final year of his current contract and has yet to hold talks over a new deal with the club. Accordingly, the Basque club have started their search for Valverde's replacement and their sporting director is considering making a move for the Bournemouth head coach.

The club also have Rayo Vallecano manager Inigo Perez and Elche’s Eder Sarabia on their shortlist, although Perez is likely to put pen to paper on a new Vallecano contract and stay back at the club on a long-term basis. 

Iraola, who graduated from Athletic Club's youth academy in 2000, spent 12 seasons as a player with the club's senior side from 2003 to 2015, where he finished runners-up in the Copa del Rey thrice and once in the Europa League during the 2011-12 campaign. In the final two years of his stay at San Mames, he played under Valverde's tutelage, a manager he could replace next year. 

The Spaniard began his managerial career at the age of just 36 after retiring from professional football, as he took charge of top division Cypriot side AEK Larnaca and guided them to the league title in his maiden season as a senior head coach. He moved back to Spain a year later, in 2019 and briefly managed Mirandes before joining Rayo Vallecano. Since his move to England in 2023, Iraola has won the Premier League Manager of the Month award twice, in March 2024 and January 2025.

After Spurs sacked Ange Postecoglou in the summer following their Europa League triumph last season, Iraola was strongly linked with the head coach's job. In the last two season's Iraola's Bournemouth have been one of the most entertaining teams to watch in the Premier League, which is also down to his well-thought-out transfer choices. The likes of Evanilson, Dean Huijsen, Justin Kluivert and Milos Kerkez have all been hit signings at the Vitality Stadium, and Iraola's knack for spotting talent held him in good stead to succeed where Postecoglou failed at Spurs.

However, Iraola stayed back at Bournemouth over the summer, while Spurs went ahead and signed Thomas Frank from Bournemouth as their next manager. 

The high-flying Cherries will hope to upset Pep Guardiola's Manchester City in a key Premier League on Sunday away from home. A win at Etihad Stadium, would help Iraola's men to reduce their gap with second-placed Arsenal to four points.