Andre Villas-Boas shock contender for Sheffield Wednesday job?

Sheffield Wednesday's ambitious owners reportedly plan to hold talks with Andre Villas-Boas over the vacant managerial position at Hillsborough.

The Owls axed boss Carlos Carvalhal last week following a run of seven games without a win, leaving them 15th in the Championship standings at the time. Wednesday have since been linked with Shakhtar Donetsk boss Paulo Fonseca, who masterminded his side's 2-1 win over Manchester City earlier this month, while Steve McClaren is understood to be another option.

According to The Sun, however, former Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea manager Villas-Boas has now emerged as a shock contender, having quit Chinese club Shanghai SIPG to race in the Dakar Rally.

Villas-Boas will be available to work in football again from the end of January, and Wednesday chief Dejphon Chansiri is rumoured to be willing to offer a lucrative package to attract the Portuguese to Yorkshire.