Former Sunderland first team coach Tony Loughlan is understood to be the man in line to come in as Roy Keane's assistant at Portman Road. Loughlan is currently on gardening leave from the Black Cats after leaving his duties in the wake of Keane's resignation in December.
Croydon-born Loughlan, 39, was a youth player with Leicester but moved on before making any senior appearances for the Foxes.
His August 1989 transfer to Nottingham Forest was mentioned in the 1997 Premier League report on football's bung culture with Brian Clough and Forest coach Ron Fenton charged with misconduct by the FA. The charges against Clough were eventually dropped.
Loughlan, a midfielder, made only two appearances for Forest before succumbing to injury and played out the rest of his career with Kettering, Lincoln, Dundalk, Hinckley and Corby.
He began his coaching career back at Leicester's academy in 2001 and joined Keane at Sunderland when he became boss in August 2006. Recently, Loughlin was rumoured to be close to becoming Simon Grayson's assistant at Leeds United.