Leicester have set their sights on a short-term manager to save their Premier League status before looking for a permanent solution in the summer.
After holding talks with a host of candidates, the Foxes have decided a new boss should have a remit that lasts only until the end of the campaign.
Though Jesse Marsch appeared the front runner for the job on Saturday, doubts emerged about the strength of the former Leeds’ boss candidacy late that night, and it is now debatable whether he was ever the leading contender.
Former Aston Villa boss Dean Smith is believed to have held talks with club chiefs, while Martin O’Neill - one of the club’s greatest managers - has been discussed along with Rafael Benitez.