Andoni Iraola with three options on the table as Rayo Vallecano spell to end this summer

Rayo Vallecano are set to lose Andoni Iraola this summer, with the Basque manager seemingly having made his mind up to leave at the end of his contract. Already he was fairly sought-after in the market, but as a free agent, he will not be short of options.

According to Cadena Cope (via ED), Iraola has three main options on the table, but obstacles to all three too. Leeds United pursued him earlier this season, but he turned them down in order to continue with Rayo until the end of the season. They may well come for him again, despite the departure of Spanish Sporting Director Victor Orta. The attractiveness of their offer will be significantly altered by whether they stay up on the final day of the Premier League season though – they currently sit 19th.

In Spain, seemingly Sevilla and Sporting Director Monchi had a pre-agreement for Iraola to take over, but Jose Luis Mendilibar’s excellent performance has made them doubt about whether to give their current manager an extension. If Mendilibar does take them to Europa League glory, it will tricky for Monchi not to renew him.

Meanwhile Quique Setien will likely miss out on Champions League football with Villarreal, but has shown signs of improvement at the Estadio de la Ceramica. Earlier in the season there too Iraola was being linked with a move when Setien’s position was looking shaky – it will ultimately depend on how much trust they have in Setien, who has a year left on his deal.

As things stand, the best fit for Iraola looks to be Villarreal. They have a squad ready to compete for a top four place that for many, has underperformed in recent years. In addition the Villarreal academy continues to provide a steady stream of young talent that Iraola could mould into a team that resembles what he has done at Rayo.

Tags Andoni Iraola Leeds United Rayo Vallecano Sevilla Villarreal
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