Lucien Favre holds positive talks with Crystal Palace over vacant manager's job
By Ross Jackson
Crystal Palace have held positive talks with Lucien Favre over potentially replacing Roy Hodgson at Selhurst Park.
The Eagles have been on the hunt for a new boss since veteran tactician Hodgson confirmed he would be stepping down from his role at the end of last season.
A whole host of names have been linked with the post in south London, most notably former Wolves manager Nuno Espirito Santo - who had looked set to take over before talks broke down at the 11th hour.
Palace were subsequently forced to turn elsewhere in their pursuit for a new manager and The Guardian now report that Favre has emerged as the frontrunner to be appointed.
The Swiss coach has been out of work since being sacked by Borussia Dortmund in December and he's said to be impressed by the plans outlined by Palace during their talks. But despite clearly being keen on pursuing a deal for Favre, there's still plenty of hurdles to overcome including fending off interest from fellow Premier League side Everton.
The Toffees are also in the market for a new manager following Carlo Ancelotti's shock departure to former club Real Madrid, with Nuno and former Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez also on their list of candidates.
Interest in Favre isn't limited to these shores as Turkish giants Fenerbahce are also understood to have contacted the former Dortmund boss' representatives over a potential move. However, Favre is keen on a move to England, so Palace and Everton are likely to hold the upper hand in any negotiations.
Favre's spell with Dortmund saw him guide Der BVB to back-to-back second-place finishes, while he previously secured Champions League qualification for Nice during his first season in Ligue 1.