Bournemouth are on the verge of appointing Marco Rose as their new head coach after successful talks with the German. The 49-year-old has emerged as the leading candidate to replace Andoni Iraola, who will step down when his contract expires this summer, with an agreement in principle already in place.
Tiago Pinto, Bournemouth's head of football operations, moved quickly after learning of Iraola's decision to seek a fresh challenge. Although the club considered a move for Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna, his substantial buyout clause proved a significant obstacle, making Rose the more viable option.
Rose has been out of work since leaving RB Leipzig in March 2025, which simplifies the deal and allows him to begin planning for next season immediately. Bournemouth hope the former Borussia Dortmund manager can continue the excellent work started by Iraola, who has transformed the south coast club since his appointment in summer 2023.
The club, who stunned Arsenal last weekend, are in contention for European qualification for the first time, despite selling several key players over the past year. They lost three-quarters of their back four last summer and sold Antoine Semenyo to Manchester City in January. Smart recruitment has ensured a strong squad remains, with one early challenge being to resist interest in midfielder Alex Scott, who is being monitored by Chelsea.
Rose boasts an impressive CV, having managed in the Champions League at Dortmund, where he worked with Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham. He previously managed RB Salzburg and Borussia Mönchengladbach.
