Manchester United are prepared to trigger a clause in Brendan Rodgers' contract to make him their next manager should Ole Gunnar Solskjaer be sacked.
Solskjaer's future at Old Trafford is looking increasingly bleak following back-to-back home defeats to Liverpool and Manchester City, leaving the club nine points off the pace after just 11 games.
The Norweigan still has backing at boardroom level, though Rodgers is top of the list of possible replacements as the club look to appoint a British successor.
As reported by the Daily Star, Old Trafford chiefs believe Rodgers would be keen on taking the job, provided a deal can be struck with his club Leicester.
Rodgers would be reluctant to leave the Foxes but knows there is little more he can realistically achieve there - and would find the chance to manage United almost impossible to turn down.
Rodgers is believed to have a release clause in his contract should a Champions League club come calling, but United wouldn't hesitate in meeting it if they need to appoint a new boss.
United have continued to show faith in Solskjaer and ignored calls for him to be sacked, despite a woeful run of results that have left his side sixth in the table and facing a fight to qualify for next season's Champions League.
Crushing home defeats to rivals Liverpool and Manchester City have piled the pressure on Solskjaer, who knows he is on borrowed time unless he can engineer a serious upturn in performances.
Bookmakers have installed Rodgers as the 4/5 favourite to be the man to replace Solskjaer, although United could wait until the summer before making their move.
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