- Crystal Palace want Iraola
- Spaniard is prepared to stay at Bournemouth
- Eagles could turn to a divisive candidate
Crystal Palace are reportedly set to cross Andoni Iraola off their list of potential Oliver Glasner replacements. The Bournemouth boss has recently been linked with the Selhurst Park job.
Iraola has impressed during his time in charge at the Vitality, guiding the Cherries up the Premier League table. His side currently sit 13th, ironically one place above Palace.
Glasner confirmed earlier this year that he intended to leave the club once his contract expires in June. The board need to find a suitable replacement but their chances of landing Iraola don’t look great.
Iraola Prefers Bournemouth Stay
A report from James Savundra of Sky Sports claims that Iraola was the prime candidate to replace Glasner. His contract is also up at the end of the season, and he’d be an easy appointment without requiring compensation.
Iraola’s stance is that he prefers to either stay at Bournemouth or take over a ‘big club’ should one come calling. The Spaniard has been offered a new contract by the Cherries, but has yet to respond and isn’t likely to until the season concludes.
The 43-year-old has been in charge at the Vitality since July 2023 and has overseen 44 wins in 120 games. He also has interest from his former playing club, Athletic Bilbao, but appears keen to wait for one of Europe’s giants.
This news comes as a setback for Palace, who may now have to consider other options. One of those is Thomas Frank, who is available after he was sacked by Tottenham Hotspur earlier this year.
Don’t Turn to Dyche
Palace’s managerial shortlist is one of intrigue because of the names currently available. The club very rarely pay compensation for a new coach so that suggests Steve Parish and the board will prioritise a free agent option.
A previous report claimed that the Eagles were considering Sean Dyche and were looking to hold talks with the former Nottingham Forest boss. He’s been out of management since he was dismissed by the Tricky Trees in February.
Dyche is an experienced coach in England and did a fine job while in charge of Burnley. But turning to him as Glasner’s successor would be an extremely dissapointing decision.
A more exciting tactician should be prioritised, or at least not one who is usually instilled to try and guide clubs out of a relegation battle. The problem is that many candidates who tick those boxes are currently in a job.
