Rodgers set for Leicester switch
LONDON: Leicester have agreed a deal in principle to appoint Brendan Rodgers as manager immediately after Celtic “very reluctantly” granted him permission to talk to the club.
Leicester have convinced the Northern Irishman to take over from Claude Puel for this season and beyond.
Initial inquiries were made before Christmas but Puel survived by virtue of wins over Chelsea and Manchester City.
Rodgers had planned to see out the campaign with Celtic in the aim of winning a treble of trebles but there was always a hope at Leicester he could be persuaded to forgo those ambitions for another crack at the Premier League.
Rodgers last worked in England in October 2015 when he was sacked by Liverpool despite taking the club to the brink of the the title in 2013-14.
Leicester view Rodgers as a dynamic appointment who can galvanise a talented squad and bring through their exciting young players, including James Maddison, Ben Chilwell, Harvey Barnes, and Demarai Gray.
It is understood Chris Davies, Glen Driscoll, and Kolo Toure will also join Leicester as part of Rodgers’ backroom staff.
Rangers boss Steven Gerrard, who played for Rodgers at Liverpool, believes a return to the English top flight now is too much for his old manager to turn down.
Gerrard said yesterday: “I’ve just been made aware that he’s in talks with Leicester. For us, we just see how that pans out really.
“It seems (the lure of Premier League has been a big factor) otherwise he’d have declined the opportunity to talk to Leicester.
“My focus right now is Rangers and we’ve got a big fixture against Dundee. That’s my main concern right now but we’ll keep an eye on how it pans out across the road.
“I’m not really surprised by the timing because these things happen. Brendan has done ever so well at Celtic over the years so it’s no surprise that other clubs are watching him and wanting to acquire his services. He’s done a really good job and I’ve worked with Brendan so I know he’s a very good coach.”
Puel is the fifth English topflight manager to leave his post this season, following Slavisa Jokanovic from Fulham, Mark Hughes (Southampton), Jose Mourinho (Manchester United) and David Wagner (Huddersfield).
Leicester have endured a traumatic season with the death of owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha and four others in a helicopter crash outside the King Power Stadium in October.