Leicester City are reportedly closing in on a replacement for Brendan Rodgers after parting company with the Northern Irishman.
After four years at the helm, Rodgers was relieved of his duties following the 2-1 defeat over Crystal Palace on 1 April, the result seeing the Foxes drop into the relegation zone.
The club thanked Rodgers for his contributions but acknowledged that "performances and results during the current season have been below our shared expectations".
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Coaches Adam Sadler and Mike Stowell took charge of losses to Aston Villa and Bournemouth respectively and it seemed as though they were heading towards appointing former Leeds boss Jesse Marsch.
However, negotiations stunted and now David Ornstein from The Athletic says the East Midlands outfit are on the verge of hiring former Aston Villa and Norwich manager Dean Smith on an interim basis until the end of the season.
The two parties are in advanced discussions and if all goes well, former Leicester manager Craig Shakespeare is to return to the King Power Stadium.
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He has worked under Smith at both Villa and Norwich and in addition to two spells as a Leicester coach, had a brief spell as permanent manager before getting the chop.
Smith was sacked by Norwich in December 2022 after a run of three wins in 13 games saw them drop off massively in the Championship, where they had been leading the way at one stage.
Leicester, who were challenging for Champions League places and won the FA Cup in 2021, find themselves in 19th place in the Premier League after a woeful run of games.
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Seven defeats in their last eight means they are two points off safety with eight fixtures still to play in the top flight.
Next up for Leicester is a huge clash against reigning champions Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.
Topics: Leicester City, Brendan Rodgers
Josh Lawless