The FAI’s ongoing efforts to appoint a new Republic of Ireland manager appear to have hit a stumbling block, with reports suggesting that preferred choice Lee Carsley is set to turn down the Irish association’s advances.
Current England Under-21 manager Carsley is Birmingham born but made 40 appearances for the Republic, and had been expected to be announced as Stephen Kenny’s successor over the course of the next few days.
The Daily Mail is reporting however that Carsley may be in the frame to succeed Gareth Southgate as England manager, having proven his expertise in guiding the Three Lions’ Under-21 side to the European Championship in 2023.
Should the reports come into fruition, it seems the FAI’s hand will be forced. Ex-Celtic stars Neil Lennon and Roy Keane are both understood to be in the frame, with the former having had a spell coaching Apoel Nicosia in Cyprus in 2022.
Ghana manager Chris Hughton and former England manager Sam Allardyce have also been in the discussion, while France women’s manager Herve Renard and Bayern Munich and Portugal assistant coach Anthony Barry are other names that have been mentioned.
The Republic are currently ranked 49th in the world, with the UEFA Nations’ League draw set to take place in Paris on February 8.