Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp will accept the England job when it is offered to him, which is expected to be next week, with Spurs lining up Brendan Rodgers to replace him, Goal.com has learned.
The Swansea City manager has been informally sounded out by third parties representing the north London club and the early indications are that he could be interested in succeeding Redknapp at White Hart Lane.
Goal.com understands that Tottenham will not make a formal move for Rodgers until the Football Association approaches them about Redknapp but the Londoners are clearing the ground for a new management team.
As revealed by Goal.com on Wednesday, senior Spurs figures have been alarmed by a catastrophic run of results and the negative feedback from the players, who have complained to chairman Daniel Levy via their agents about Redknapp’s tactics and match preparation.
The club have abandoned plans to try and persuade the 65-year-old to stay at White Hart Lane and will not offer him the four-year £16 million contract they had prepared, even in the unlikely event that he does not quit White Hart Lane to become the new England boss.
Sources have told Goal.com that Redknapp plans to take assistants Kevin Bond and Joe Jordan with him from Spurs, which will prompt a complete shake-up of the north London club’s coaching team.
There is confidence inside Wembley that negotiations with the new England manager – Roy Hodgson is considered a distant second choice to Redknapp – will be swift and he will be in place soon after the completion of the domestic season on May 13. The Uefa deadline for squads for the Euros to be finalised is May 29 and the tournament begins on June 8.
Rodgers is emerging ahead of David Moyes as the hot favourite to replace Redknapp at White Hart Lane as Spurs accept that first choice Jose Mourinho is almost certainly out of reach of his many suitors for another year.
Swansea sources say that Rodgers is interested in listening to the plans of Spurs, whose main criteria is that the contenders have experience of managing in the Premier League.
Nevertheless, there is no guarantee at this stage that he would accept the managerial post as he is believed to have doubts over whether the timing is right for him to accept the challenge of leading a Champions League calibre club.
Rodgers has an excellent relationship with Swans chairman Huw Jenkins, his family are settled in Swansea and he has said that he wants to grow with the squad.
The Northern Irishman, 39, signed a new three-and-a-half year contract in January worth between £1.5m-2m per year that includes a buy-out clause of more than £5m.
Although Spurs would not be put off by the clause should they opt to intensify their pursuit of Rodgers, they are aware that he is a somewhat risky target because of his lack of experience in managing big-name players.
Swansea believe they stand less chance of keeping Rodgers if Spurs miss out on a Champions League spot as he feels he would have a greater opportunity of making a mark at White Hart Lane should that be the case.
