Jagoba Arrasate will soon be the former Coach of Real Sociedad, reports claim, as the club lines up Thomas Tuchel as his replacement.
AS claim the axe may already have fallen on Arrasate after his support in the boardroom dissipated with the 1-1 draw against Cordoba. Arrasate may have been informed of his fate on Sunday evening, AS add.
It’s said that the only hold-up in his departure is the lack of a confirmed replacement, with Tuchel, formerly of Mainz, having become the preferred choice.
Former Real Betis and West Bromwich Albion Coach Pepe Mel had been the front-runner and could still get the job if talks with Tuchel come to naught.
Juande Ramos, previously of Sevilla, Tottenham Hotspur, Real Madrid and Dnipro, has also been in the frame. Both Mel and Ramos have been contacted.
The delay in appointing Tuchel is related to compensation that would be due from La Real to Mainz. Tuchel resigned from the Bundesliga club at the end of last season but the conditions of his exit say any new club must compensate his old employers.
Tuchel was previously close to the Anoeta bench in 2011 but didn’t break his Mainz commitment. Instead, Philippe Montanier replaced Martin Lasarte, with Arrasate replacing him last summer.
The Basques are currently fourth-bottom of the Primera with six points from nine games, one point ahead of the bottom three, Cordoba, Elche and Levante, who each have five points.
