Leicester City are close to appointing Ruud van Nistelrooy as their new manager after having sacked Steve Cooper on Sunday.
Cooper was dismissed from his role as Foxes boss just one day after his former side's 2-1 defeat against Chelsea last Saturday.
The Foxes have lost four of their last five fixtures in all competitions and are 16th in the Premier League table with 10 points after 12 games.
Cooper only took charge of 14 games during his time with Leicester having come in for Enzo Maresca in the summer.
The Telegraph report that former Manchester United interim boss Van Nistelrooy has held extensive talks with the Foxes' hierarchy and his appointment is set to be confirmed shortly.
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Ruud van Nistelrooy as a manager
The Dutchman has limited experience of the Premier League as a manager given he took over United on a temporary basis after Erik ten Hag was sacked in late October.
Van Nistelrooy oversaw four matches as boss, but he left Old Trafford unbeaten and having won three times and drawn once.
Interestingly, two of his wins came against Cooper's Leicester, and though United still had glaring defensive issues against the likes of Chelsea in early November, he can hardly be held entirely responsible for the Red Devils' struggles.
PSV Eindhoven appointed Van Nistelrooy head coach in March 2022 and during his time in the Netherlands he won the 2022 Johan Cruyff Shield and 2022–23 KNVB Cup, but resigned at the end of the 2022-23 campaign as a result of what he described as a lack of support.
The 48-year-old led the Dutch team to a second-placed finish with 75 points from 34 games that season, seven fewer than champions Feyenoord.
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What will he need to do at Leicester?
Having reportedly beaten the likes of Graham Potter and David Moyes to the job, Van Nistelrooy must prove that he can be competitive in the Premier League on a permanent basis.
His primary task will no doubt be to secure Leicester's top-flight survival, and considering his side are just one point clear of 18th-placed Ipswich Town, it will be no mean feat for the relatively inexperienced boss.
There is a chance that Van Nistelrooy could be in the dugout on Saturday away at Brentford, and he will hope that he can correct the team's defensive issues.
Indeed, the Foxes record of 23 goals conceded in the Premier League is the joint third-worst return in the division, and they have conceded 16 times in their last six matches.
Van Nistelrooy should be afforded patience given Leicester face West Ham, Brighton, Newcastle and Wolves before Christmas, and then have the daunting task of trying to overcome Premier League favourites Liverpool on Boxing Day, before playing champions Manchester City on December 29.
Lewis Nolan
