Bournemouth intend to step up contract talks with Andoni Iraola over the next month, with the club keen to retain a manager they believe is one of the best in the Premier League.
In a summer of change on the South Coast, Iraola was a reassuring constant.
The Cherries sold more than £200m worth of talent in the close season but there was never a chance of the brilliant Basque boss following them out of the door after he pledged his commitment earlier in the spring.
Those who know him describe Iraola as not only a cutting-edge coach but also refreshingly clear-minded, honest and immune to playing the sort of politics that some of his peers revel in.
The hope is that the Bournemouth project, which has seen American owner Bill Foley invest more than £300m since taking over on players and a state-of-the-art training ground, is enough to tempt him into signing an extension to a contract that runs out at the end of the season.
No-one in the game doubts Iraola is destined for the top, and recent links to Manchester City and Manchester United (where Ruben Amorim is under increasing pressure) probably have some substance.
But he is surrounded by good people at Bournemouth, who have navigated a summer in which virtually all of last season’s starting XI were the subject of transfer interest pretty spectacularly.
They have done it by sticking to their principles when it comes to both incomings and outgoings.
Bournemouth’s stance is that no player who wants to leave will be denied a move, provided interested clubs meet their asking price.
It is a policy that works both ways. For those who have had offers but chose to stay – like Antoine Semenyo and David Brooks – their loyalty has been rewarded with new contracts and fine early season form has followed.
And the fact that stars who have left have ended up at clubs of the calibre of Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool and Real Madrid has undoubtedly helped the sales pitch to potential new signings.
The club’s president of football operations Tiago Pinto summed it up perfectly in a recent interview with Sky Sports.
“Bournemouth is a good platform to develop players and to help them to achieve their dreams,” he said.
“But before they will achieve their dreams, they need to help us to fulfil our dreams.”
There was little surprise that Dean Huijsen and Milos Kerkez left early in the summer but losing winger Dango Ouattara and centre-back Ilya Zabarnyi caught the club on the hop a bit.
Nevertheless, incomings have been impressive.
Pinto’s contacts helped Bournemouth land the likes of Alex Jimenez, the right-back who has joined on loan from AC Milan, while there are high hopes for 18-year-old Serbian centre-back Veljko Milosavljevic, who impressed on his debut against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
No-one appears to be getting too carried away about sitting fourth in the nascent Premier League table.
European football is the long-term aim at the club, but there is realism about what can be achieved with a new-look team this season.
Indeed, most of the satisfaction stems from the fact they have picked up wins against Wolves and Brighton, two teams that they struggled against in the corresponding fixtures last campaign.
That also reveals another tweak that Iraola has made.
While his “non-negotiables” remain – a devilishly high press, high intensity, arriving into the opposition penalty area at speed – there has been a conscious effort to evolve the team to cope with opponents who play a low block this season.
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Recruitment was tilted to try and bring in new players who can get in behind a high line, with pace and creativity a priority.
Bournemouth also see Alex Scott, who scored in the win over Brighton at the weekend, as a player who can make a big step up this season, with Iraola working with the England under-21 star over pre-season.
In terms of the bigger picture, the summer sales wiped out any lingering financial concerns while enabling Bournemouth to invest in the future.
The fortunes of the other clubs in Foley’s Black Knight multi-club model are also flourishing, with Portuguese sister club Moriense sitting fourth in their league.
It is understood the group is keen to increase their minority stake in Ligue 1 newcomers Lorient, too.
It is no wonder Iraola might be tempted to commit to a club intent on cementing its place in the elite.
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