St Johnstone boss Derek McInnes is understood to be shortlisted to manage Cardiff City but no contact has been made with the McDiarmid Park club.
The English Championship side fired Dave Jones last week after he failed to lead them into the Premier League and McInnes is in the frame to replace him. Roberto Di Matteo, Lee Clark, Chris Hughton, Malky Mackay and Mark Robins are believed to be the other contenders.
Several of those candidates have already been interviewed but McInnes has not, as he is on a family holiday. Perth chairman Geoff Brown reported last night that nobody from Cardiff has been in touch with him about his manager.
The 40-year-old turned down the job with League One side Brentford FC a few weeks ago. He has also been linked with Nottingham Forest FC, should they part company with Billy Davies, as has been rumoured.
Cardiff have said they hope to appoint a new manager next week. Bluebirds chief executive Gethin Jenkins said, “In line with the stature of the club today, it’s no surprise that the level of interest in the position has been high.
“Over the last week we have held discussions with representatives of interested parties and have consulted with various football experts to get feedback on potential candidates.
“We will now take the next steps towards appointing a manager who we feel can take our club forward. Our work will continue this week, from which a full announcement will be made on an appointment, which could be next week.
“I’m sure all Cardiff City supporters would like an announcement made as soon as possible, but based on the importance of the decision it’s imperative that we consider all factors in the best interest of our club.
“Until the appointment is made it would be inappropriate for us to discuss speculation or confirm whether we have met any specific candidates.”
Brown, meanwhile, believes it would be a “massive gamble” for Cardiff, were they to turn to McInnes. He would expect tried and tested Championship title winner Hughton to be the favourite.
From a Saints perspective, Brown has admitted that this latest bout of speculation is most unwelcome. He said, “It doesn’t do us any good. We’re in the process of trying to put a squad together for next season and that isn’t helped if every time a job comes up Derek’s linked with it.
“Players will wonder how long he’s going to be here.”