The Football Association sounded out Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola over the summer as they move towards appointing an external candidate for their England head coach vacancy.
There is an emerging sense from the governing body that current interim boss Lee Carsley will not become the national team’s next permanent head coach.
Guardiola has long been viewed by many at the FA as the ‘dream’ candidate to replace Gareth Southgate, who left the job following eight years in charge after Euro 2024.
Mail Sport revealed in September that the FA had started making private enquiries with regards to appointing external candidates, with Guardiola among those approached ahead of the start of the season.
The Spaniard’s contract with City expires in the summer and it appears unlikely that Guardiola would leave before then, which could pose difficulties for the FA given there are likely to be six England fixtures before then, though Carsley is already committed to November’s games versus Greece and Ireland.
Pep Guardiola is seen as the 'dream' candidate to replace Gareth Southgate within the FA
The FA got in touch with him over the summer and are willing to wait for the Man City boss
However, there are concerns over the possible impact of Man City's alleged 115 breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules
Lee Carsley is the interim manager but there is an emerging sense he will not be the next boss
Nevertheless, there is a sense among leading members of the FA hierarchy that Guardiola would be worth waiting for.
Carsley's mixed public messaging over whether he wants the job on a permanent basis has cast further doubt at the FA over whether he is the right man to replace Southgate on a long term basis.
The FA have kept an open mind regarding their next appointment and viewed Carsley as a genuine candidate. But there has been a feeling recently, given his public soundings, that he may not be ready for the top job.
England would not match Guardiola’s current £20million wage at City, which could provide an obvious stumbling block.
But the job as England head coach is one of the best-paying international coaching positions in the world. Southgate, for instance, earned around £6million a year.
The FA are also mindful of City’s current fight against the alleged 115 breaches of the Premier League’s financial rulesand any possible impact the findings may have on any formal move to appoint Guardiola.
The FA have been burnt with controversies linked to previous head coaches, most recently Sam Allardyce was forced to quit the job after just one game in charge when he was captured providing advice on how to circumnavigate the governing body’s rules regarding player transfers.
And while there is no suggestion at all that Guardiola is implicated in the accusations City are currently rejecting, the FA - given the mystery surrounding the case - are cognisant of the focus on the case and how it could impact English football’s current landscape.
The Three Lions suffered a humiliating defeat to Greece at Wembley on Thursday evening
Carsley's England side were humbled at Wembley as they were beaten 2-1 by Greece
England returned to winning ways in the Nations League after beating Finland in Helsinki
Under Guardiola, City have gone on an unprecedented run of dominance, with six league titles
The FA are also believed to be considering English options, including long-time target Eddie Howe
But having the opportunity to shape the present and future of England’s national team may appeal to Guardiola, who has made no secret of one day becoming an international manager.
It would be intriguing to see how any eventual appointment of Guardiola would impact current technical director John McDermott’s powerbase at the FA.
McDermott and chief executive Mark Bullingham are leading the organisation’s search for a new boss. And it is understood McDermott has been a big supporter of Carsley.
Eddie Howe is also a contender for a role, but the FA are understood to be reluctant to enter negotiations with Newcastle to release from his contract at St James’ Park.
Carsley, himself, has backed the notion of appointing a foreign coach, saying: ‘Does the England manager have to be English? No, definitely not.
‘It's important that the best candidate gets the job. We've seen in the past that we've had different nationalities coach the teams, so it’s the best candidate should get the job.
‘We'd be putting ourselves in a corner if we didn't, and we need to open our minds a bit.’