Del Bosque closer to Deportivo La Coruna

Vicente del Bosque remains favourite to succeed Javier Irureta as coach of Deportivo La Coruna at the end of this season.
 
Irureta admitted before Sunday's 4-1 humiliation at home by Racing Santander that negotiations over a new contract for next season had "stopped".

His agent will be in La Corunna this week for talks with Depor president Augusto Caesar Lendoiro and club sources say Jabo's representative will be informed that there will be no offer come the end of this season.

Lendoiro is understood to already have a verbal commitment from Del Bosque, but has been linked with Athletic Bilbao coach Ernesto Valverde, who is also leaving his job in the summer.

A surprise candidate is Osasuna trainer Javier Aguirre. The Mexican admitted earlier this season that he was in talks with a bigger Spanish club and at the time was linked with Atletico Madrid.

Like Valverde, Aguirre has an excellent reputation for developing players and playing a good brand of football and is another on Lendoiro's shortlist.