Lee Carsley’s Republic of Ireland deal not set in stone with England U21 coach still considering his options

While sources have indicated that Carsley has been offered the chance to take over from Stephen Kenny, he has not committed to doing so.

Lee Carsley has been tipped for the Ireland job - but FAI may have to look at Plan B

The FAI have not wrapped up a deal to appoint Lee Carsley as their new manager.

While sources have indicated that Carsley has been offered the chance to take over from Stephen Kenny, he has not committed to doing so.

Throughout the process, a grey area has hung over the England U-21 manager’s desire to take the Republic of Ireland position at this moment in time – even though the job has long appealed to him – and that uncertainty lingers despite suggestions that an announcement was imminent.

The terms of his contract with the FA leave him free to speak to interested parties at a certain level, including international teams, so the 49-year-old has been able to hold talks with the FAI without any difficulty.

However, the FAI would still need to go through a formal process if Carsley had agreed to the job and the FA have yet to receive an approach.

Carsley is happy in his current role with the FA where he enjoys an excellent relationship with Technical Director John McDermott, who he has previously described as a crucial figure in his coaching journey.

He was the obvious candidate on the FAI’s radar when it came to replacing Kenny, given how he fits the brief described by Director of Football Marc Canham.

Carsley’s initial interest waned in November with a fresh blaze of off-the-field publicity around the FAI, including a temporary suspension of state funding arising from governance issues with CEO Jonathan Hill’s pay package, understood to be one factor in his reticence.

But he wasn’t ruled out of the