Preston North End are closing in on the appointment of Bradford City manager Graham Alexander, BBC Radio Leeds understands.
Bradford confirmed on Thursday that they had “reluctantly” granted the 54-year-old permission to speak to Preston. The Championship side are second bottom and sacked boss Paul Heckingbottom earlier this month after losing six of their first seven league games.
Alexander is a familiar figure at Deepdale. He made 372 league appearances for Preston across two spells as a player, and the former Scotland international has also managed Fleetwood, Scunthorpe, Salford, Motherwell and MK Dons.
He has led Bradford to the top of League One, with five wins from their first seven games of the season. He took over at Valley Parade in November 2023 and won promotion from League Two in his first full season in charge. He is contracted to the club until the end of next season.
Preston host Millwall in their first game after the international break on Saturday, 10 October. Bradford’s next League One fixture is on 3 October at Reading, with their game this weekend against Barnsley postponed because of international call-ups.