Alasdair Gold expects Tottenham Hotspur are keeping an eye on Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola as speculation grows over Ange Postecoglou's future.
Postecoglou is coming under increasing pressure amid Spurs' woeful form. His men suffered a 3-2 defeat to Everton on Sunday (January 19), their 12th defeat of the Premier League campaign. The Lilyhwites are 15th with 24 points in 22 games.
Fabrizio Romano gave an update on the Australian coach's situation in his latest GIVEMESPORT newsletter. He suggested the club acknowledge the depleted squad their manager is dealing with due to a lengthy list of players out injured, the most recent being Dominic Solanke, who picked up a knee injury in training.
Spurs can end a 17-year trophy drought by winning the Carabao Cup. Postecoglou's men are 1-0 up on aggregate against Liverpool in the semi-finals, and the second leg takes place on February 6 at Anfield.
Gold: Iraola Likely 'Catching Spurs' Eye'
The Spaniard has been extremely impressive at Bournemouth
Alasdair Gold touched on Postecoglou's future by suggesting the North Londoners may be eyeing Bournemouth boss Iraola. He wrote for football.london:
"Andoni Iraola will no doubt be catching Spurs' eye with his work at Bournemouth but the Spaniard is highly unlikely to leave the south coast in mid-season and even he can't magically heal injuries."
Iraola arrived at the Vitality in July 2023 in a contentious fashion. Bournemouth opted to sack Gary O'Neil despite the English coach keeping them in the Premier League.
However, the club's owner, Bill Foley's decision to replace O'Neil with Iraola has been proven right. The Spanish coach has been a massive hit on the South Coast.
The 42-year-old has steered the Cherries into European qualification contention and in style. They play some of the most exciting football in the English top flight, with Liverpool-linked duo Antoine Semenyo and Milos Kerkez and in-form forward Justin Kluivert shining under the Athletic Bilbao legend.
The 'incredible' Iraola has overseen 10 wins and five defeats in 22 league games, and his side are 7th, a point off the top four. Kluivert netted a hat-trick while Kerkez was on target in a 4-1 win over the previously in-form Newcastle United on Saturday (January 18).
Bournemouth are also dealing with several injuries to Iraola's first-team squad. He's without the likes of club-record £40.2 million signing Evanilson and defensive duo Julian Araujo, and Marcos Senesi. But Iraola's troops are flying high in the league, and his stock is growing at the Vitality. He'll have a year left on his contract in the summer amid talk of him replacing Postecoglou.
All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt - correct as of 20/01/2025.