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Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson says appointing Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola would demonstrate that Chelsea are still an ambitious club.
The Spaniard has announced that he will leave the Cherries when his contract expires in June so he will soon be available, but Merson believes he may have “another job” lined up anyway.
“Those days of Jose Mourinho, Antonio Conte, Thomas Tuchel are gone now. That’s unless they get Andoni Iraola. But then again, he would come from Bournemouth. If they had drawn or lost against Newcastle at the weekend, there would have been no hustle, no worries. But if he comes to Chelsea, you lose a couple of games, and you’re under severe, severe pressure.”
“And in any case, I’d be shocked if Iraola hasn’t got another job already. You don’t leave a Premier League football club without knowing you’ve got another job elsewhere.”
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Would Iraola be a good appointment?
The 43-year-old has impressed since replacing Gary O’Neil before the start of the 2023/24 season. He guided Bournemouth to their joint-highest ever Premier League finish last campaign – 9th – having finished 12th in his first season in charge.
It looks like the Cherries could secure an even higher finishing position this time around, with Iraola’s men currently sitting 8th.
However, as Merson rightly points out, Iraola has never managed a high-profile team. Before Bournemouth, he had coached AEK Larnaca, Mirandes and Rayo Vallecano.
Will Chelsea sack Rosenior?
At the moment, the line coming out of the club is that the current head coach will be in the dugout for the start of next season, even if the Blues fail to seal Champions League qualification.
Former Chelsea manager Glenn Hoddle says he agrees that Rosenior should be given the chance to turn things around, but he expects him to be sacked if one thing happens.
Read more about the Chelsea First Team Squad for 2025/26 here
