Blackpool boss Ian Holloway has emerged as Mick McCarthy’s main rival for the Town job with the 49-year-old now the second favourite, his odds having been cut to as low as 2/1 by some bookmakers this afternoon.
Town are believed to have enquired regarding the terms on which Holloway could be prised from Bloomfield Road after three and a half years in which he has taken them into the Premier League for one season and to last May’s Championship play-off final, where they lost to West Ham.
According to reports at the weekend, that would cost the Blues £500,000 with chief executive Simon Clegg having confirmed that Town would be willing to pay compensation in order to get who they felt was the right man for the job.
The one-time Bristol Rovers, QPR and Plymouth boss is also believed to have been interesting Burnley, Blackburn and Crystal Palace.
Ex-Wolves, Sunderland, Republic of Ireland and Millwall manager McCarthy, who is understood to have flown back to the UK from a spell away in Portugal earlier this week, has been the frontrunner to succeed Paul Jewell ever since reports of talks with the Blues first emerged on Friday. He remains odds-on at the few bookmakers not to have suspended betting on the market.
However, it is not yet a done deal with Clegg confirming that interviews with the shortlisted candidates are currently taking place. Town are hopeful of coming to a resolution before the weekend.