Brendan Rodgers In Talks To Take Charge Of Leicester

By Max Wise

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers is in line to replace Claude Puel as Leicester City manager after the Bhoys gave him the green light to negotiate with the 2015/2016 Premier League champions.

Leicester City sacked manager Claude Puel last Sunday after 16 months in charge of the club following a run of poor form that saw them suffer seven defeats in their last nine games, including an FA Cup exit at the hands of League Two side Newport County.

Rodgers has been in charge of Celtic since the summer of 2016 and has led the club two Scottish Premier League titles, two Scottish Cups and three Scottish League Cups.

Celtic are currently top of the Scottish League table, eight points ahead of nearest challengers Rangers, but were bundled out of the Europa League by Spanish La Liga side Valencia last week following a 3-0 aggregate defeat.

"Celtic Football Club today confirmed that it has been approached by Leicester City FC to speak to Brendan Rodgers with regards to their current managerial vacancy," Celtic said in a brief statement.

"Brendan has indicated to the club that this is an opportunity he wishes to investigate further and therefore, very reluctantly, the club has granted him permission to speak to Leicester City."

The 46-year-old Northern Irishman almost guided Liverpool to the Premier League title in the 2013/2014 season but a blip towards the end of the season saw Manchester City overtake them to claim the title.

Chris Davies, Rodgers’s assistant at Celtic, and Kolo Touré, another member of the club’s backroom staff, will also move to the King Power Stadium if the move materializes.

Leicester City are in action at the King Power Stadium in a Premier League game against Brighton and Hove Albion later on Tuesday with first-team coaches Mike Stowell and Adam Sadler in temporary charge.