Chelsea are not the only club looking to bring in a new manager this summer. There could be a few other top ones across Europe. One of them might be Manchester United. Michael Carrick has done an excellent job as the interim boss but it is not certain that he would be handed the post on a permanent basis, even if or when he secures Champions League qualification.
To be honest, I feel it is very likely that Carrick will end up getting the job. But it appears that Manchester United are keeping their options open at the moment. And one of their managerial targets is one wanted by Chelsea as well.
Obviously, Manchester United have handed former players the job in the past, based on strong interim runs, only for things to fizzle out. So, it is expected of them to be wary of repeating a potential mistake.
According to The Telegraph, Andoni Iraola has emerged as the strongest candidate to rival Carrick for the Manchester United job. The club seem to believe the Spaniard would be a good fit.
There is some good news for Chelsea as well
Rival interest from Manchester United in Iraola is not ideal for Chelsea. He is believed to be one of their top targets at the moment, alongside Xabi Alonso and Marco Silva.
That being said, there is some positive news for Chelsea as well. According to The Telegraph, Iraola is attracted by living in London.
Of course, it has already been announced that Iraola will be leaving Bournemouth as a free agent this summer. So, it makes it easier for clubs trying to hire him. Chelsea, Manchester United and plenty of others are expected to be keeping an eye on the highly-rated manager.
A lot of fans won’t mind Iraola joining Manchester United
Reading into the reaction of the fanbase to the news, it feels like a lot of supporters would not mind if Iraola did end up at Manchester United. Most want Alonso to be the one getting the job.
At the end of the day, that will not be simple. Alonso will want more control over things than recent managers have had. Graham Potter and Liam Rosenior were sacked. But do not forget, Mauricio Pochettino and Enzo Maresca chose to leave.
That goes to show that the current model is not one that managers like to work under. And thanks to the club’s struggles, any incoming manager will have a fair bit of leverage. Are BlueCo willing to make changes though?
