With the Stamford Bridge managerial hot seat officially vacant once again following the deeply chaotic exit of Liam Rosenior, Chelsea are looking at their options.
According to Football London, the Blues have finally stopped simply window shopping.
The BlueCo hierarchy has reportedly made “initial contact” with Bournemouth’s departing mastermind, Andoni Iraola.
It’s incredibly easy to see why Chelsea’s sporting directors are knocking on Iraola’s door.
Andoni Iraola has impressed at Bournemouth
The Spanish tactician has been an absolute revelation on the South Coast.
Since taking over the Cherries, he has successfully transformed Bournemouth from scrappy relegation battlers into a fearless, high-pressing machine that happily goes toe-to-toe with the Premier League’s heavyweights.
More importantly for Chelsea’s ownership, Iraola perfectly fits their plan.
After getting heavily burned by taking gambles on managers without top-flight experience, the board is now strictly demanding someone with battle-tested Premier League pedigree.
Iraola knows exactly how to navigate the punishing, relentless English schedule.
His intense, front-foot tactical philosophy could be the exact shock to the system needed to wake up a highly expensive but desperately underperforming Chelsea dressing room.
Chelsea have several options on their shortlist
Beyond the tactics, there is a massive financial incentive driving this pursuit. Iraola has already publicly confirmed that he will be walking away from the Vitality Stadium at the end of the current season.
While Chelsea are definitely keeping tabs on other proven options, such as Fulham’s Marco Silva and the currently jobless Xabi Alonso, making official first contact with Iraola puts him firmly in pole position.
The real question now isn’t whether Chelsea want Iraola, but whether Iraola actually wants Chelsea.
If this initial contact turns into a full-blown contract offer, Iraola will have a massive decision to make.
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