Ruud van Nistelrooy, a former striker for Manchester United, has surfaced as a potential replacement for Enzo Maresca for Leicester.
With their present manager on the verge of joining Chelsea, the Foxes are looking for a new manager. After in-person negotiations in Spain, the Championship winner and the Blues have reached an agreement, and the two teams are anticipated to agree on a compensation package.
Leicester will have to name their fourth manager in less than a year after the transfer becomes official. It seems like Van Nisterlooy is now a contender for the position.
The 47-year-old is reportedly a “option” to replace Maresca, according to sources from Belgium. If the Dutchman is hired, it will be his first managerial position since he left PSV Eindhoven in the previous year.
After winning the Dutch Cup, he submitted his resignation at the conclusion of his only season with the team. The former striker also served as Guus Hiddink’s assistant with the Dutch national team and had stints with PSV’s youth teams.
After his time at PSV, he made a suggestion that he might be interested in managing in the Premier League. He stated, “I would really like to work in Spain, and I have had conversations with Spanish clubs,” in an interview with AS earlier this year. I would also like to coach in the various leagues that I have participated in. In the Bundesliga and the Premier League.”
Any move back to England would also see Van Nistelrooy return to the Premier League since his hugely successful stint with Manchester United was ended in acrimonious fashion in 2006. He quit Old Trafford for Real Madrid and also went on to play for Hamburg and Malaga.
In addition, Van Nistelrooy had 70 appearances and scored 35 goals for the Dutch national team. If he shows up to the King Power Stadium, he might have a lot to talk about about goals with Jamie Vardy of Leicester.
In 2015, the seasoned striker made headlines when he eclipsed Van Nisterlooy’s record for most goals scored in a Premier League game. Ironically, Vardy’s game-winning goal came against Manchester United.
Van Nistelrooy sent Vardy a message ahead of that achievement. Taking to Twitter, the Dutchman wrote: “Records are there to be broken…Go on Jamie Vardy, all the best and good luck!”
Vardy could potentially leave Leicester before the club have a new boss in situ. The striker sees his contract expire next month.
