Andoni Iraola: Spaniard exiting Bournemouth in style but where will he go next?

One of the teams with which Iraola is heavily linked is Athletic Club.

Ernesto Valverde announced in March that he would leave the club in the summer and end his last four-year career in Bilbao.

Born in the Basque Country, Iraola has strong ties to the club and made 510 appearances between 2003 and 2015.

It is understood his family’s desire to return to Spain was among the factors Iraola took into account when deciding to leave Bournemouth.

Reacting to Valverde’s departure, Iraola said: “It probably affects me as a fan because I support the club.

“I have been playing there for many years and it was a surprise for me too. This is my biggest reference in football, Ernesto. This is a decision he made, but let’s say it does not affect me except for the fan side.”

Smith added: “This is the club where he learned most of his football principles. A lot of the elements of his game come from there.” [Marcelo] Bielsa’s Athletic team.

“If he wants to come back to Spain, it’s possible. There will be a huge, emotional pull for this job.”

However, Spain’s interest may not be limited to Bilbao.

Alvaro Arbeloa replaced Xabi Alonso, who was sacked at Real Madrid in January, but the La Liga giants remain nine points behind leaders Barcelona with seven games remaining and were knocked out of the Champions League by Bayern Munich this week.

Could the former Spain full-back be tempted by Real Madrid’s star-studded squad and vast transfer war chest? Or would he like to work with Bayer Leverkusen in Germany before moving on to bigger names?

However, where Iraola’s journey takes her next may be one of the most intriguing stories of the summer.