Ex-Preston North End and Sheffield Wednesday man reportedly set to land huge League One manager's job
Cardiff City are reportedly closing in on their new manager
Former Preston North End midfielder Brian Barry-Murphy is set to be named Cardiff City manager, according to reports.
The Bluebirds have been on the search for a new boss all summer, with speculation having swirled around an ambitious move for Charlton Athletic chief Nathan Jones - while interim manager Aaron Ramsey has left the club, ahead of an expected move to Mexican side Pumas UNAM. Ian Evatt and Des Buckingham were also linked.
Now, Leicester City assistant Barry-Murphy is the leading name in the frame. Sky Sports senior reporter, Rob Dorsett, reports that a compensation package has been agreed between Cardiff and the Foxes - with personal terms at an advanced stage and an announcement anticipated ‘in the coming days’.
Barry-Murphy has been linked with plenty of jobs in recent years, including the PNE vacancy in August 2024. However, he later confirmed that talks never took place with anyone at Deepdale. The Irishman spent two-and-a-half years in charge of Rochdale, in League One, and then took charge of Manchester City U21s for three-years.
He moved to Leicester in December last year. Most of the 46-year-old’s playing career was at Bury, for whom he made 243 appearances. North End signed Barry-Murphy from Cork City in 1999 and he went on to represent PNE on 24 occasions. He had loan spells at Southend and Hartlepool, before leaving to Sheffield Wednesday in 2003.
Should he take over at Cardiff, the goal will be to take the Welsh club back into the Championship after suffering relegation. The Bluebirds finished bottom of the second tier last year, with Omer Riza having been in the hot seat from September 2024 to April 2025.