Brendan Rodgers 'emerges as leading contender for Manchester United job'

Manchester United have reportedly identified Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers as the leading candidate to replace Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as head coach at Old Trafford.

Solskjaer will lead the team into Saturday's Premier League clash with Tottenham Hotspur despite overseeing a 5-0 home defeat to Liverpool last weekend, which piled the pressure on the Norwegian.

Man United are still thought to be planning for life after the former Molde and Cardiff City manager, though, and according to ESPN, Rodgers is a leading contender for the job.

The report claims that the 48-year-old has impressed senior figures at Old Trafford with his work at the King Power Stadium, but he only signed a new long-term contract in December 2019, meaning that a costly compensation bill would have to be paid to release him from the Foxes.

Antonio Conte had seemingly emerged as the first-choice target, but it is understood that the 20-time English champions have now cooled their interest in the Italian due to the cost involved.

Rodgers managed Watford, Reading, Swansea City, Liverpool and Celtic before arriving at Leicester, and he has won the FA Cup and Community Shield during his time at the King Power Stadium.