Gareth Southgate's end game... England boss set to walk after Euros and FA could even try to lure Pep Guardiola!
The prospect of Gareth Southgate departing the England hotseat is not the elephant in the room it once was.
FA chiefs are conscious of the uncertainty and taking seriously the possibility that Southgate will saunter into the sunset after next summer's European Championship in Germany.
There were similar vibes before last year's World Cup when Eddie Howe, Graham Potter and Mauricio Pochettino were all considered in the event of Southgate standing down.
The dream appointment of some at the FA is Pep Guardiola — an option officials are open to exploring.
Last winter, the FA were desperate for Southgate to stay regardless of the outcome in Qatar. As it transpired, a quarter-final defeat by eventual finalists France offered enough encouragement for Southgate to stay on.
Notwithstanding the difficult summer of 2022, when form nosedived, England have emerged as one of world football's elite nations — thanks in no small part to Southgate.
But prior to Qatar, FA technical director John McDermott met colleagues to discuss potential successors. They analysed the merits of Howe and Potter, concluding both would implement an attractive philosophy suited to the organisation's ethos.
However, Howe was front and centre of a fast-moving project at Newcastle, and Potter had just taken the Chelsea job. Luring either from club football was far from guaranteed.
The merits of Brendan Rodgers, at Leicester at the time, was discussed, as was Pochettino, who was out of work after leaving Paris Saint-Germain.
Rodgers and Pochettino's candidacies were indicative of the FA's willingness to appoint a non-Englishman for the first time since Fabio Capello in 2008. But by the end of those initial talks, their preferred vision was clear: Southgate was staying.
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