Iraola has already revealed which MUFC player he’d relish working with after Romano confirms he’s ‘open’ to job

Andoni Iraola will have to get used to being heavily linked with Manchester United in the coming weeks while his future is uncertain.As for the Red Devils, it’s expected they will wait until the summer to make a concrete decision on their permanent Ruben Amorim successor.DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL STRETTY NEWS APP FOR ALL THE LATEST UPDATES & BREAKING NEWS – STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHONE! ON APPLE & GOOGLE PLAYWill United turn to Iraola instead of Michael Carrick?Whether they will opt for Michael Carrick remains to be seen, as, despite claiming only four points from the last four matches, it goes without saying that he has reinvigorated the squad following a dismal end to Amorim’s tenure in January.However, with David Ornstein confirming on Tuesday that Iraola would be leaving Bournemouth when his contract expires at the end of the season, it has prompted speculation that the highly-regarded manager could be Old Trafford-bound. Andoni Iraola will leave Bournemouth when his contract expires at the end of this season. Bournemouth sources say they tried everything possible to keep Iraola after 15 months of negotiations and, though they are disappointed to lose him, respect his decision and maintain a… pic.twitter.com/DTnEe9Rw0o — The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) April 14, 2026Having already secured the Cherries’ highest Premier League finish (ninth) and points record (56), he could go out on a monumental high at the Vitality Stadium if the club qualifies for Europe for the first-ever time. Games managed Wins Draws Losses Win percentage 108 38 35 35 35.2& (Iraola’s Premier League record, courtesy of BBC Sport)While Bournemouth are outside candidates in 11th, they are only three points adrift of Chelsea in fifth, and now boast a commendable run of 12 games unbeaten.More recently, they extended their streak via an emphatic 2-1 triumph over leaders Arsenal at the Emirates last weekend.What Iraola previously had to say about the United squadIn the meantime, Fabrizio Romano revealed last night that Iraola would indeed be ‘open’ to taking the United job, should the opportunity be made available to him. The Basque Country native has also previously voiced his praise for United’s new-look frontline before his side made the trip to M16 this term, saying: “The signings they have made up front — [Bryan] Mbeumo, [Matheus] Cunha, [and] Sesko [are threatening] — but especially players like Amad, who is now even more important.“He is an even bigger threat, and we have to be ready to defend difficult duels for the full-backs and for the centre-backs because you have to defend some very good players in open spaces.”