Crystal Palace are now targeting Sean Dyche as a backup managerial option after their pursuit of Andoni Iraola appears increasingly likely to fall through.
Iraola had been Palace’s primary target following his remarkable achievement of guiding AFC Bournemouth to the Europa League for the first time in the club’s history.
Steve Parish and the Palace hierarchy were prepared to offer the Spaniard significant influence over recruitment in a bid to lure him to Selhurst Park.
However, Iraola is now closing in on a move to Liverpool, forcing the Eagles to reassess their managerial search entirely.
According to reporter Alan Nixon, via Goodison News, Crystal Palace are now eyeing a move for Sean Dyche as a plan B option should they miss out on Iraola.
Frank Lampard is also under consideration, though it would cost Palace £5m to extract him from his Coventry City contract.
Dyche has been without a club since being dismissed by Nottingham Forest in February after lasting just 114 days at the City Ground.
Despite his brief Forest tenure, Dyche earned high praise from Pep Guardiola for his work at Everton, with the former Manchester City boss saying: “Sean Dyche made an incredible job; I don’t forget how Sean took over in that moment, a difficult position, and avoided relegation.”
The 54-year-old brings considerable Premier League experience, having accumulated 99 top-flight wins across managerial spells at Burnley, Everton, and Nottingham Forest.
However, Dyche has averaged just 1.12 points per match in the Premier League, predominantly managing sides battling relegation throughout his career.
That modest return may concern Palace, who have now qualified for European football for a second consecutive season under outgoing boss Oliver Glasner.
Other candidates in contention include Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna, ex-Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank, and Lens manager Pierre Sage.
McKenna carries a 50 percent career win rate, Frank sits at 44 percent, while Sage boasts an impressive 64 percent record in his managerial career to date.
Sage’s stock has risen sharply after guiding Lens to a second-place finish in Ligue 1 and claiming the French Cup this season.
Many observers feel Sage would represent a more progressive appointment for a club with European ambitions and a desire to build on Glasner’s considerable legacy.