Tottenham’s chances of luring Andoni Iraola to the club in the summer have just been handed a huge blow after a big update emerged from Spain about the Bournemouth boss’ future.
Iraola has done a tremendous job at Bournemouth, with the Spaniard transforming the side from relegation contenders to Champions League hopefuls.
The Cherries are now sitting just one point below Manchester City in fourth place at the moment and are course to achieving the highest Premier League finish in their history.
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Iraola’s achievement is the fact that he has overseen this improvement while implementing an attacking style of football.
That is why Iraola is at the top of Tottenham’s wishlist to replace Ange Postecoglou if Daniel Levy decides to part ways with the Australian at the end of the season.
Tottenham vs Real Madrid: The battle for Andoni Iraola
The Daily Mail have now claimed that Tottenham Hotspur may not have a free run at Iraola as the 42-year-old is now on Real Madrid’s radar ahead of the summer.
The report says that Los Blancos are eyeing possible replacements for Carlo Ancelotti in the summer, with Xabi Alonso being the favourite to take over at the Santiago Bernabeu if the Italian leaves.
However, if they are not able to get the Bayer Leverkusen boss, it is suggested that they could turn to Iraola, with the Basque-born manager’s work in the English South Coast not going unnoticed in the Spanish capital.
Why Spurs may not be worried about Madrid’s interest in Iraola
While it is certainly not a given that Tottenham will sack Postecoglou, one would think that his position will likely become untenable if he fails to take Spurs at least to the semifinals of the Europa League.
Iraola appears to be the most like-for-like replacement for Postecoglou at the moment and Spurs will be an attractive destination for the Spanish coach, who will be keen to show what he can do at a higher profile club with better resources.
It would be extremely surprising if Madrid went for Iraola as their fans will only accept the best in class, which means that the La Liga giants are likely to push the boat out to get Alonso if Ancelotti leaves in the summer.