Bournemouth Look To Championship For Andoni Iraola Successor As Kieran McKenna Leads Race

Bournemouth will consider turning to the SkyBet Championship in their search for a successor to Andoni Iraola, SportsBoom can exclusively reveal. 

The Cherries' chief has ended speculation on whether he would sign a new contract by announcing he will quit the South Coast club at the end of the season.

As exclusively reported by SportsBoom in January, Iraola is expected to return to Spain to succeed Ernesto Valverde at former club Athletic Bilbao.

But Crystal Palace, Fulham and even Manchester United and Liverpool have been alerted by the 43-year-old’s availability.

However, Bournemouth supporters are more interested in who will replace the 43-year-old at the Vitality Stadium.

And they might not be overjoyed by the two early favourites, Ipswich Town’s Kieran McKenna and Tonda Eckert from South Coast rivals, Southampton.

Much though will depend on the fate of the respective clubs both chasing promotion to the Premier League, but Bournemouth bosses are eager to sound out the two managers over the vacancy. 

McKenna To Be Sounded Out

McKenna took the Tractor Boys from League One to the top flight in successive seasons. 

And though Town only lasted one term in the Premier League, he overcame a mixed start to the current campaign to guide Ipswich into an automatic promotion place.

German gaffer Eckhert has been a revelation since replacing Will Still in November having had limited coaching experience at Barnsley. 

As well as an FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City to look forward to, the Saints are well placed to secure a play-off berth; an outcome that looked unlikely when he took over.

Another name to be considered is former Leipzig boss Marco Rose. The German manager has been out of work since leaving the Bundesliga side in March 2025.

Iraola has worked wonders at Bournemouth since he was appointed in June 2023 to replace Gary O’Neil, taking the Cherries to ninth last season.

Bournemouth are currently 11th but are only three points off the top six despite losing key players since last term including:  Dean Huijsen, Milos Kerkez and Antoine Semenyo.