Norwich City move step closer to confirming Thorup replacement - 1 of 3 could be appointed next week | OneFootball

Three of the names on Norwich City's final shortlist have been revealed as their managerial search nears a conclusion.

Liam Manning, Pep Lijnders and Gary O'Neil are all reportedly on Norwich City's final shortlist of managerial candidates.

That's according to the Pink Un, who claim that Manning, Lijnders and O'Neil all remain firmly in contention as Norwich's search for a replacement for Johannes Hoff Thorup nears a conclusion.

Thorup only made the move from Danish side FC Nordsjaelland to take over at Carrow Road in the summer, but after failing to guide the Canaries to the Championship play-offs, he was sacked last month, with sporting director Ben Knapper claiming that he had no choice but to make a change as performances and results were heading in the "wrong direction".

Jack Wilshere was placed in interim charge after Thorup's exit, and he was widely expected to be handed the job on a permanent basis after picking up four points from his two games in charge to lead Norwich to a 13th-placed finish, but the 33-year-old is not in the running and is now expected to leave Carrow Road altogether.

After Knapper revealed that the Canaries' managerial search will be "focused externally", it seems they have narrowed down the list of candidates, with Manning, Lijnders and O'Neil all making the final cut as an appointment draws closer.

Liam Manning, Pep Lijnders and Gary O'Neil on Norwich City managerial shortlist

Manning made the move from Oxford United to take over at Bristol City in November 2023, and he guided them to the Championship play-offs this season for the first time since 2008.

The Robins' play-off adventure did not quite go to plan as they suffered a record-breaking 6-0 aggregate defeat to Sheffield United, but that does not detract from the excellent job Manning has done at Ashton Gate, and the 39-year-old, who was born in Norwich and is a former Carrow Road season ticket holder, has also been linked with Leicester City in recent weeks.

After reports emerged that Manning was attracting interest from the Canaries, it was revealed last week that no official approach for his services had yet been made, and he is not the only name the club are considering.

Lijnders spent the best part of a decade serving as Jurgen Klopp's assistant at Liverpool before making the move into management in his own right with RB Salzburg in the summer, but despite winning just 13 of his 28 games in charge of the Austrian outfit prior to his sacking in December, it seems that he has admirers among the Norwich hierarchy.

O'Neil made 55 appearances for the Canaries during a two-year spell at the club as a player between 2014 and 2016, and the former Bournemouth and Wolves manager, who has been out of work since leaving his role at Molineux in December with his side languishing in the Premier League relegation zone, could potentially be set for a return to Norfolk.

In addition to Manning, Lijnders and O'Neil, three overseas options are also believed to be among the candidates to replace Thorup, but Christian Titz and Brian Priske are not in the frame, while former Norwich captain Russell Martin has never featured on the club's wish list.

Knapper has indicated a desire to make an appointment well in advance of the players returning for pre-season training at the end of June, and as the Canaries continue to work through their shortlist, a new manager could be in place as soon as next week.

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It is unclear who the three foreign candidates under consideration by Norwich are, so of the three names who are known to be on the club's shortlist, Manning would surely be the preferred option, but there are big question marks over whether he would leave Bristol City after leading them to the play-offs this season.

With Manning potentially out of reach, the Canaries may need to turn their attention elsewhere, and while Lijnders would no doubt have learned a lot working under Klopp at Liverpool, his spell at RB Salzburg was underwhelming, so he would be a big gamble for the Norfolk outfit.

There would also be risks attached to the appointment of O'Neil, particularly after the disastrous end to his time at Wolves, but he did build up plenty of credit during his two Premier League managerial spells, and as he already has a connection with the club from his playing days, he would likely be welcomed back by the Carrow Road faithful.