Ex-Celtic and Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers in line for return to the dugout with shock club

The Athletic are among those to report that Rodgers is wanted in the Middle East. It is claimed that he will travel to Saudi as “work continues to finalise a deal”. If terms can be agreed, then he will pick up the reins at Al-Qadisah.

Rodgers appears set to step out of his comfort zone after bringing a second spell in charge of Scottish giants Celtic to a close. He left Glasgow under a cloud, with holes being picked in his reasons for walking away.

The Hoops’ majority shareholder Dermot Desmond said at the time of Rodgers’ claims that he lacked support at boardroom level: “In June, both Michael Nicholson and I expressed to Brendan that we were keen to offer him a contract extension, to reaffirm the club's full backing and long-term commitment to him.

“He said he would need to think about it and revert. Yet in subsequent press conferences, Brendan implied that the club had made no commitment to offer him a contract. That was simply untrue.”

Rodgers also claimed to have been let down by the ambition of Celtic bosses when it comes to transfer business. He said: “There's no way you'll go into a race and be given the keys to a Honda Civic and say, 'I want you to drive it like a Ferrari'. It's not going to happen.”

Desmond was not having that either and bit back by saying: “Every player signed and every player sold during his tenure was done so with Brendan's full knowledge, approval and endorsement. Any insinuation otherwise is absolutely false.

“In reality, he was given final say over all football matters and was consistently backed in the recruitment process - including record investment in players he personally identified and approved.

“When his comments were made publicly, I sought to address them directly. Brendan and I met for over three hours at his home in Scotland to discuss the issue. Despite ample opportunity, he was unable to identify a single instance where the club had obstructed or failed to support him. The facts did not match his public narrative.”

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Rodgers is now being targeted to succeed former Spain international Michel Gonzalez at Al-Qadsiah. They vowed to “move swiftly” and ensure a “smooth transition” when parting company with their previous boss.

Several candidates have been sounded out, with CEO James Bisgrove and sporting director Carlos Anton overseeing that process. When it comes to Rodgers, “his style of play and philosophy ultimately made him the preferred candidate”. He also has trophy wins on his CV from a spell at Leicester.

Al-Qadsiah want a new man at the helm by the time the January transfer window opens. Rodgers is their top choice, with the 52-year-old boasting vast experience from spells with Swansea, Liverpool, Celtic and the Foxes - having first started out as reserve boss at Chelsea during Jose Mourinho’s initial reign at Stamford Bridge.

He boasts the highest win ratio, at 75.5 per cent, of any manager in Celtic’s glittering history and delivered four Scottish Premiership titles across his two stints at the helm - with those successes forming part of back-to-back domestic treble triumphs in 2016-17 and 2017-18.

Rodgers is now ready for a new challenge and appears happy to head out of the United Kingdom in order to find his next role. Al-Qadisah seemingly have an offer on the table, as they sit fifth in the Saudi Pro League table - 10 points adrift of Ronaldo and Al-Nassr, who boast a faultless record at the top of the division.