Ruud van Nistelrooy: Leicester City set to appoint former Manchester United interim head coach

Ruud van Nistelrooy went unbeaten during a four-game spell as interim head coach of Manchester United; Leicester sacked manager Steve Cooper on Monday after just five months in charge; Foxes are on a five-game winless run and sit 16th in Premier League, one point above the relegation zone

Rob Dorsett

Senior Reporter, Sky Sports News @RobDorsettSky

Wednesday 27 November 2024 22:20, UK

Ruud van Nistelrooy is expected to accept an offer from Leicester City to become their new manager and should be in charge for their game against Brentford on Saturday.

It is thought Van Nistelrooy is currently at his home in the Netherlands, but his appointment could be confirmed quickly.

Van Nistelrooy has been exploring opportunities to become a number one and Sky Sports News understands he had a number of offers from other European clubs.

Leicester had considered the former Bayern Munich and Wolfsburg boss Niko Kovac and the current West Bromwich Albion manager Carlos Corberan as possible candidates, but have now decided Van Nistelrooy is their preferred choice.

The decision has been taken by club owner Aiyawatt Shrivadhannaprabha - known as "Top" - who took personal responsibility for the appointment, with director of football Jon Rudkin preparing a list of candidates.

Van Nistelrooy was appointed as assistant manager at Manchester United in the summer having been out of work since quitting as PSV Eindhoven boss before the end of the 2022-23 season.

He became interim head coach when Erik ten Hag was sacked in October and twice beat Leicester - 5-2 in the Carabao Cup and 3-0 in the Premier League - to stay unbeaten in his four games in charge before the club confirmed his departure following Ruben Amorim's arrival.

Why did Leicester sack Cooper?

Analysis by Sky Sports News' Danyal Khan and Lyall Thomas:

"Despite sitting 16th, with 10 points from 12 games, the club believe taking this decision now gives them the best chance of staying in the Premier League.

"There is a feeling in the club's hierarchy that they could be higher than they are; they've failed to beat Ipswich and Everton, with performances also increasingly a concern.

"It is clear Cooper has been trying to implement the style he wants and make the changes he believed were necessary to improve things - but there was understood to be resistance from and a disconnect with the players.

"This is said to have increased concerns internally over Premier League safety, while it is also evident there has been a lack of connection between Cooper and the fans since he took charge in the summer.

"After promotion, Leicester spent less in the summer transfer market than the other two promoted teams and lost a key player in Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to Chelsea.

"Their highest spend was around £20m on Oliver Skipp, while they brought in Bobby Decordova-Reid on a free transfer and two players on loan from other Premier League clubs.

"The club have acted swiftly in comparison the 2022/23 season, in which they parted ways with Brendan Rodgers as late as April and replaced him with Dean Smith before ultimately being relegated."

Leicester's upcoming PL fixtures

Brentford (A) - Saturday, kick-off 3pm
West Ham (H) - December 3, kick-off 8.15pm
Brighton (H) - December 8, kick-off 2pm
Newcastle (A) - December 14, kick-off 3pm
Wolves (H) - December 22, kick-off 2pm

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