CRYSTAL PALACE are on the verge of appointing Patrick Vieira as their new manager.
Roy Hodgson left Selhurst Park at the end of last season with the squad tipped for a huge summer rebuild.
Former Borussia Dortmund boss Lucien Favre and Swansea’s Steve Cooper were revealed by SunSport to be in the running.
Favre, 63, had looked all set to take over at Selhurst Park until a last-minute change of heart last week.
There was hope the Swiss could be convinced to change his mind again over the weekend but now the focus has been switched back to previous target Vieira.
Palace want a new manager in place by next Monday, when their players return for pre-season training.
Vieira was first linked with the job in April as Hodgson, 73, neared the end of his contract.
Vieira, who won three Premier League titles with the Gunners, last managed Ligue Un side Nice but was sacked in December last year.
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The 45-year-old hung up his boots after a spell with Manchester City and took a job working behind the scenes at the Etihad.
He managed affiliate club New York City FC and led the MLS outfit to consecutive play-off appearances.
An 18-month spell at Ligue 1 side Nice followed, where he secured a seventh-placed finish but lost his job after a winless run in December 2020.
Vieira has since been out of the dugout and fans have recently been enjoying his punditry analysis on ITV’s Euro 2020 coverage.
The Arsenal legend won three Premier League titles in nine years with the Gunners.
His affiliation with the North London side led to his role in Daniel Ek’s failed attempt at buying the club from Stan Kroenke following the European Super League debacle.
After leaving Highbury, the World Cup winner helped Inter Milan to a trio of Scudetti and won the FA Cup with Manchester City.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
