by Ruud van Nistelrooy is set to become Leicester City’s new manager. The Dutchman is set for an almost immediate return to the Premier League after leaving Manchester United.
Van Nistelrooy, a United hero, is set to succeed Steve Cooper, who was sacked last Sunday. His last match was a home defeat to his predecessor, Enzo Maresca, now in charge of high-flying Chelsea.
Related: Steve Cooper’s lukewarm reign at Leicester was doomed from the start
Leicester were interested in Graham Potter and Carlos Corberán before installing Cooper in the summer, but this week had productive talks with Van Nistelrooy. The club was reluctant to pay compensation to a manager, making him an attractive option.
Van Nistelrooy previously briefly managed PSV Eindhoven, the club where he made his big breakthrough as a player, winning the Dutch Cup in 2023 before resigning, citing a lack of support within the club.
Leicester are 16th in the table, one point above the relegation zone. The Dutchman’s first game could be at Brentford on Saturday, before matches against West Ham, Brighton, Newcastle and Wolves. Leicester players returned to training on Tuesday, under first-team coach Ben Dawson, who arrived from Newcastle in the summer, after a Christmas party in Copenhagen, where the players were filmed dancing in a nightclub in front of a sign reading: “Enzo, I miss you.
Van Nistelrooy joined United as an assistant coach in July, but was named interim head coach after the dismissal of Erik ten Hag and oversaw four matches, winning three and drawing one. Van Nistelrooy’s final match in charge was a 3-0 league win over Leicester, whose Premier League survival is now in his hands.
