West Brom relegation rivals reported to make key move in hunt for new boss

The lowly Foxes are said to be in advanced negotiations for 51-year-old Gary Rowett, who is currently out of work.

Leicester sit 22nd in the Championship, the final relegation place, following a six-point deduction for breaching financial rules. Only they and Portsmouth separate the Baggies and the drop zone, though Pompey have two games in hand on Albion, including Tuesday's trip to 18th-placed Charlton.

Rowett, who has managed six clubs including four from the wider Midlands, was previously in talks to take charge of another Championship relegation-battler Blackburn Rovers.

But those talks broke down and the Ewood Park outfit instead appointed Northern Ireland boss Michael O'Neill, who will share his roles, and started with an away win at QPR.

Leicester have been without a boss since they axed Spaniard Marti Cifuentes last month.

Rowett, who hails from Bromsgrove, is a veteran of almost 600 games as a manager and was dismissed by second-tier strugglers Oxford two days before last Christmas. His side were saw off 2-1 by Ryan Mason's Albion at The Hawthorns in early November.

The former Birmingham City defender ended his playing career at Burton Albion and it was with the Brewers he cut his teeth in management for two years from 2012.

He moved to St Andrew's thereafter before short spells at Derby and Stoke and four years at the helm of Millwall.

Rowett returned to Blues in the closing stages of the 2023/24 campaign, after former and future Baggies boss Tony Mowbray fell ill, but was unable to prevent the club from being relegated to League One.

His last role was just shy of a year in charge of newly-promoted Championship side Oxford, where he won 14 games from 50.

Rowett, who was a TV pundit for Albion's goalless draw at Blues last week, is said to be in talks over a short-term deal at the King Power Stadium.

It is believed he has historically had interest in moving to The Hawthorns.