Leading Chelsea manager target receives ‘new approach’ as Romano reveals ‘dream’ outcome

Chelsea reportedly face competition for AFC Bournemouth head coach Andoni Iraola, who has decided on his “dream” outcome this summer.

The Blues are in the process of appointing a new head coach following the exit of Liam Rosenior, and they are unsurprisingly linked with a host of potential targets.

Oliver Glasner, Marco Silva, Cesc Fabregas and Julian Nagelsmann are among those mentioned as potential next Chelsea managers, but it has been widely reported that Iraola is their leading target.

Iraola, who is confirmed to be leaving when his contract expires this summer, has worked wonders at Bournemouth over the past couple of years, with the Cherries well-placed to qualify for Europe after Sunday’s 2-0 win against Crystal Palace.

So, it is hardly surprising that Chelsea are not alone in targeting Iraola, who has reportedly emerged as the leading alternative to Michael Carrick for Man Utd. 

And an update from Football Insider reporter Pete O’Rourke claims Iraola will opt to ‘delay his decision’ for his next move after a ‘new approach’, with Crystal Palace joining the race to appoint him.

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Romano reveals Iraola’s ‘dream’ as Chelsea ‘deeply discuss’ alternative

O’Rourke told Football Insider: “Chelsea, following the departure of Liam Rosenior, are also interested in the Spaniard.

“For Iraola, he’s not going to rush into anything.

“He’s going to have lots of options and offers probably in the summer, not just from the Premier League, there’ll be interest from some top European leagues in him as well.

“He’ll have to be convinced by the project, but look, Chelsea are a huge club, huge ambitions.”

We have also reported that Chelsea have ‘deeply discussed’ the possibility of appointing Porto boss Francesco Farioli as they keep their options open ahead of the summer.

Regarding Iraola, he was being touted as the next Athletic Bilbao boss before they settled on Edin Terzic, and he will likely have other options out of the Premier League this summer and beyond.

But in a boost for Chelsea, Fabrizio Romano has revealed that his current priority is to carry on in the Premier League.

Romano said on his YouTube channel: “Iraola has this dream of continuing in the Premier League, and in England, at the highest level possible.

“This is why he is linked to Man United, this is why he is linked to Chelsea.

“But my understanding, at the moment with Chelsea, still nothing advanced or decided.

“On Man United, they’re obviously, internally taking care of the process to assess all of the potential candidates.”