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Andoni Iraola has one year left on his deal, which runs until 2026 - Getty Images/Vince Mignott
Andoni Iraola is moving towards committing his immediate future at Bournemouth despite being a candidate for clubs such as Tottenham in the event of a change of manager.
Iraola, 42, has one full season left on his contract at the Vitality Stadium and his work on the south coast over the last two campaigns has drawn admirers and has raised the possibility of a move this summer.
But sources are now suggesting the Basque coach is inclined to stay at Bournemouth beyond the current season, with his club firmly in contention for European qualification in 2025-26.
With one year left on his deal, which runs until 2026, Bournemouth are also trying to convince Iraola to sign a new deal.
As reported by Telegraph Sport last month, Iraola would be expected to be a candidate at Spurs if Ange Postecoglou leaves his post, along with Fulham manager Marco Silva. It is believed that Brentford manager Thomas Frank is also highly rated.
Iraola’s reputation as one of the Premier League’s most exciting coaching talents has been forged in the last 18 months despite a poor start at Bournemouth after replacing Gary O’Neil.
His team were in the relegation zone after 10 games but as he implemented his brand of exciting, high-paced attacking football, Bournemouth climbed to a 12th-placed finish and saw the form of Dominic Solanke lead to a £65million move to Spurs.
This campaign has seen other players catch the eye of big clubs while working under Iraola. Liverpool are expected to be in the running for Hungary full-back Milos Kerkez when he moves, while Dean Huijsen, 20, has Europe’s biggest clubs viewing him as a potential centre-back star of the future.
Antoine Semenyo, a £10 million signing from Bristol City in the Championship, has also increased his market value. The Ghana forward scored the winning goal against Fulham on Monday evening to take Bournemouth into eighth place in the table.
Iraola himself has seen his stock rise after taking Rayo Vallecano to La Liga through the play-offs and keeping them in the top flight for two seasons before Bournemouth made their move. As a player, he spent 12 years in La Liga with Athletic Bilbao before a season at New York City FC, after which he hung up his boots.
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