Cardiff City have now been without a manager for almost three weeks, having sacked Erol Bulut towards the middle of last month.
The Turkish manager was let go after a dismal start to the season that saw the Bluebirds earn just one point from their opening six games and rooted to the bottom of the Championship.
Former Leyton Orient and Watford coach Omer Riza is now in charge on an interim basis, but the board is still on the hunt for a permanent successor, with Wales Online reporting that the powers that be at The Principality have spent the past two weeks “poring over a longlist of candidates.”
Who is on Cardiff's managerial radar?
Among the names being touted to succeed Bulut as Cardiff manager are Sam Allardyce, Mark Hughes, Tony Pulis, and Neil Warnock, as well as former Plymouth Argyle duo Steven Schumacher and Ryan Lowe. Former West Bromwich Albion and West Ham manager Slaven Bilic is also a target.
It is understood that talks were held with Bilic this week, but Cardiff are not optimistic they can land the Croatian, who has been without a job since leaving Saudi Pro League side Al-Fateh back in August. One other name linked with the job is Ruben Selles, who is the current boss of League One side Reading.
Selles recently hinted that he could leave Reading amid a number of issues behind the scenes at the Select Car Leasing Stadium, including the club failing to pay its players and being issued a winding-up petition by HMRC over unpaid taxes.
“I have had enough of this situation now,” Selles told BBC Radio Berkshire a fortnight ago after a proposed club takeover by American lawyer and businessman Rob Couhig fell through.
“All the bad situations that can happen in football have happened to me in the last 16 months,” he said. “I have a fantastic group of players that have been fighting against those situations but it gets to a point where you cannot anymore, you are repeating the things in the cycle.”
Carlton Palmer thinks Selles would say yes to Cardiff
Speaking exclusively to Football League World, former England international turned pundit Carlton Palmer said he believes that Selles would say yes to an offer to become Cardiff manager if approached.
“Should Cardiff come knocking, I think he will go,” said Palmer. “Selles has done fantastic there but he will go unless new owners come in. There has been talks and talks at Reading about new owners coming in and nothing has materialized.
Cardiff City eyeing move for "highly regarded" 39 y/o to replace Erol Bulut
They sit bottom of the Championship…
1 ByTom Cunningham
“It must be disheartening for Ruben. It must be difficult for him trying to lift the players, the staff, and then being hit with a points deduction or further embargoes,” Palmer said. “It becomes very difficult to work under those circumstances, week in, week out. Cardiff are a good football club. It’s a great opportunity to make a name for himself in the Championship.
“I can see him leaving if they make an approach for him. I could see him leaving.”