Kieran McKenna is no longer being considered by Chelsea as their next head coach, after initially being seen as a frontrunner.
The Fermanagh native has attracted a number of suitors after leading Ipswich Town to back-to-back promotions and a return to the Premier League for the first time since 2002.
This achievement saw McKenna recently named the League Managers Association Manager of the Year, joining an elite list featuring the likes of Alex Ferguson, Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola, but it seems like this isn't enough for those in charge at Stamford Bridge.
Over the weekend, it was reported that McKenna was on a three-man shortlist to replace Mauricio Pochettino, alongside Brentford's Thomas Frank and Leicester's Enzo Maresca, but the latest report from The Athletic states that the Irishman has now dropped out of the running.
The article states that "the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge have narrowed the possibilities down to a select group that does not feature the former Manchester United assistant" with the Chelsea job now set to go to either Frank or Maresca.
Léigh an scéal seo trí Ghaeilge ar Liathróidí.ie brúigh anseo
Michael Carrick, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Kieran McKenna with Manchester United (Photo: Shutterstock)
Kieran McKenna's Man United links
United are the other major Premier League club that McKenna has been linked with but any hopes of him going back to Old Trafford could have been hit by their unlikely FA Cup win over Manchester City on Saturday.
It had been suggested that Erik ten Hag would be sacked by United regardless of the result but the celebratory scenes at Wembley may have their new INEOS owners thinking twice, with a review of the season set to take place this week.
Last week, it was reported that United had held initial talks with McKenna's representatives over a potential return to the club where he served as assistant to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and if they do opt to dispose of Ten Hag, then the 38-year-old is likely to remain on their shortlist.
Otherwise, it looks likely that he will be staying at Ipswich but after apparently batting his eyelids at so-called bigger clubs, it will be interesting to see if his reputation has taken a hit among their fanbase.
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