Bournemouth are on the verge of appointing Marco Rose as their new manager following productive discussions with the German. Rose has emerged as the preferred candidate to replace Andoni Iraola, who will step down when his contract expires this summer. An agreement in principle is now in place for Rose to take charge.
Tiago Pinto, Bournemouth's head of football operations, acted quickly after learning of Iraola's decision to seek a fresh challenge. The club had considered Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna, but his substantial buyout clause proved a significant obstacle, making a move for Rose more straightforward.
Rose has been out of work since leaving RB Leipzig in March 2025, which has facilitated the deal with the 49-year-old. He will be able to begin planning for the upcoming season immediately. Bournemouth will hope the former Borussia Dortmund manager can build on the work started by Iraola, who has impressed since his appointment in the summer of 2023.
The south coast club, who stunned Arsenal last weekend, are in contention for European qualification for the first time. They have also coped with selling several key players over the past year, including three-quarters of their back four last summer and Antoine Semenyo to Manchester City in January. Smart recruitment has ensured Rose will inherit a strong squad, though he will face an early challenge in resisting interest in midfielder Alex Scott, with Chelsea among the clubs monitoring him.
Rose brings a strong CV, having managed in the Champions League during his time at Dortmund, where he worked with Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham. He has previously managed RB Salzburg and Borussia Mönchengladbach.
