Despite sacking Craig Shakespeare, speculation abounds that Leicester City do not have anyone in particular lined up to replace him. In the wake of a parting that is understood to have caused Leicester’s players much sweet sorrow and launched no end of other dreadful bard-related puns, anyone who’s anyone is currently touted as a possible replacement for the man they call “Shakey”. The club hierarchy have put Michael Appleton in charge as caretaker while they “begin the process of identifying and appointing its next first team manager” and local paper the Mercury have identified Sam Allardyce, Chris Coleman, Carlo Ancelotti, Alan Pardew, Sean Dyche and Roberto Mancini as potential candidates on a shortlist that seems to have been drawn up from the list of bookies’ favourites.
Truth be told, it could only be more lacking in imagination if it boasted the former Leicester manager and one-time managerial merry-go-round staple Micky Adams. With Big Sam rumoured to be interested in the USA job and Ancelotti understood to have his eye (the one under his trademark arched eyebrow) on the Milan or Italy gig, an already uninspiring list of candidates makes even more grim but monotonously predictable reading. Still, Leicester’s owners threw everyone a curve ball when they appointed Claudio Ranieri, who did quite well at the club before his dismissal last season, so who’s to say they haven’t an equally left-field choice in mind.
James Rodríguez could find himself surplus to requirements at Bayern Munich now that Ancelotti – the man who brought him in from Real Madrid – is no longer employed by the club, and may ask for his loan spell to be cut short so he can fail to get in the first team at his parent club instead. Reports in Spain say the Colombian could then make a move stateside to play MLS in January instead.
Barcelona striker Paco Alcácer is growing increasingly frustrated with his lack of opportunities under Ernesto Valverde and could agitate for a move from the Camp Nou in January. Southampton have expressed an interest in taking the 24-year-old to Saint Mary’s, while Celta Vigo and Lille are also monitoring his situation with interest.
Callum Brittain is the latest hot prospect to roll off the MK Dons assembly line and could join Dele Alli, Sam Baldock, Brendan Galloway and Sheyi Ojo on the list of players to make the step up from the League One side to the Premier League. Both Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea are rumoured to be interested in signing the 19-year-old right-back, who is an established first-team regular with his club and was named the EFL young player of the month for September.
Liverpool are continuing to keep tabs on Perr Schuurs, a young defender who plays for Fortuna Sittard in the Dutch second division, but will have to fight off interest from a host of other clubs including Ajax, PSV Eindhoven, Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund if they are to land the 17-year-old.
And finally, Sky’s tentative plan to broadcast Arsenal’s match against Liverpool on Christmas Eve may be revised, with speculation suggesting it may be scheduled for the evening of Friday 22 December instead.