Bournemouth are set to appoint Marco Rose as their new manager after successful talks with the German. Rose has emerged as the favoured candidate to replace Andoni Iraola, who is stepping down when his contract expires this summer, and an agreement in principle is in place for him to take over.

Tiago Pinto, Bournemouth’s head of football operations, has moved swiftly since learning that Iraola has decided to seek a fresh challenge. Bournemouth considered a move for Kieran McKenna but the Ipswich Town manager’s heavy buyout clause presented a significant challenge and made a move for Rose more likely. Rose has been out of work since leaving RB Leipzig in March 2025, making a deal with the 49-year-old easier to complete, and he will be able to start planning for next season now.

Bournemouth will hope the former Borussia Dortmund manager is able to carry on the job started by Iraola, who has performed brilliantly 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 and have responded to selling several key players during the past year. They lost three-quarters of their back four last summer and sold Antoine Semenyo to Manchester City in January.

Bournemouth have benefited from smart recruitment. They have sold for high prices and replaced outgoing stars, ensuring that Rose will inherit a strong squad. One early challenge will be to resist interest in Alex Scott, with Chelsea among the clubs showing interest in the midfielder.

Rose boasts a strong CV and 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.