Derry City boss Ruaidhrí Higgins has reportedly held talks with English League One side Barnsley, over their vacant managerial role.
Former Northern Ireland international Michael Duff left the position to take the reins at Swansea City last month, and reports now suggest that the Tykes want a new man in place in the coming days.
According to the Derry Journal, Higgins has held talks with the Yorkshire outfit, who are due to play Flyde in a pre-season friendly on Saturday.
Ruaidhri Higgins is a wanted man
A move for Higgins would be seen as a blow for the Candystripes, who had hoped to challenge Shamrock Rovers for the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division title this year.
After some recent stumbles, Derry currently sit six points behind the champions but are by no means out of the race, with just 24 games played.
Higgins took over at the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium in April 2021, and has led the club to fourth and second-place finishes in the table.
The highlight of his time came last November, when Derry beat Shelbourne 4-0 in the FAI Cup Final at the Aviva Stadium.
Barnsley look to bounce back from play-off heartache
Should he move to Oakwell, Higgins will inherit a Barnsley squad that is on the back of a good season, having finished fourth in the League One table immediately after relegation from the Championship.
However, their campaign ended with a 1-0 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday in the play-off final, which was sealed by a last-gasp Josh Windass goal.
Barnsley have been a bit of a yo-yo side in recent seasons, bouncing between the second and third tiers, and Higgins would surely be tasked with getting them promoted at the first time of asking, before kicking on from there.
If the reports are true, Derry's first game without their current manager could be at home to Sligo Rovers on Friday, before they embark on a two-legged Europa Conference League first qualifying round against Faroese outfit HB Torshavn.
