Leicester City are stepping up attempts to hire Brendan Rodgers as their new manager immediately, with the club believing there is now the prospect of him being coaxed from Celtic before the end of the season.
Rodgers is Leicester’s principal candidate to replace Claude Puel, who was sacked on Sunday. The former Liverpool manager has privately insisted he will finish this season in Glasgow, where Celtic remain on course to win a third domestic treble in succession. However, Leicester are keen to push for a quick appointment and thereby prepared to test the resolve both of Celtic and their manager.
A compensation figure of £5m has not dissuaded those at the King Power Stadium from an approach. However, it remains to be seen where Rodgers would remain firmly of a mind to complete the season north of the border and, indeed, whether such a stance would be deemed acceptable by Leicester.
Rodgers is due to meet with the media on Tuesday, in advance of the Premiership meeting with Heart of Midlothian on Wednesday evening. Any immediate exit from Celtic by the 46-year-old would cause the Scottish champions an unforeseen problem at a key season juncture.
Neil Lennon, who departed Hibernian in curious circumstances at the end of January, would be viewed as the most obvious candidate to return to Celtic and replace Rodgers in the short term at least.