Cape Town - Bosses at Manchester City reportedly have an eye on how Brendan Rodgers performs at Leicester this season as they keep in mind potential successors to Pep Guardiola.
The former Liverpool and Celtic boss has made an impressive start to his tenure at the King Power Stadium, having replaced sacked Frenchman Claude Puel back in February.
The Foxes have lost just once during the opening months of the new campaign and are currently sat in third place in the Premier League table, with many already tipping Rodgers’ side for a sustained tilt at a top-four finish.
City sources have revealed Rodgers was previously on the club’s radar back in 2010, when they spoke to the likeable Northern Irishman about becoming assistant to then-boss Roberto Mancini.
It’s understood the 46-year-old was provided with a unique insight into City’s vision for the future and even met with Mancini in Milan to discuss the offer of becoming his official number two.
The club’s executives were impressed with the reputation Rodgers had garnered whilst working as Chelsea’s youth boss under Jose Mourinho at Stamford Bridge and he appeared to be on the verge of moving to the Etihad when he instead accepted an offer to follow in the managerial footsteps of Roberto Martinez at Swansea City.
That decision was respected by the officials in Manchester, who were not surprised when Liverpool later appointed him their boss in 2012.
There is plenty of speculation doing the rounds as to who will be the person to replace Guardiola at City when he eventually decides to move on from England, with the Catalan still insistent he will see out his deal which expires at the end of the 2021 season.
Former Netherlands midfielder Giovanni van Bronckhorst, 44, has been granted behind-the-scenes access to City after stepping down as Feyenoord coach at the end of last season, sparking rumours the former Barcelona star is being groomed for the Pep handover.
Rodgers, however, still has his admirers at City, having pushed them all the way for the Premier League title in 2014 when in charge of Liverpool, before then delivering back-to-back Trebles during his three-year stint in charge at Celtic Park.
There is a feeling if he can also be successful for Leicester, Rodgers will be on the shortlist to replace Guardiola, added to what City already know and like about him.