The Fulham board want Billy Davies to take over at Craven Cottage, according to the Sunday Mirror.

The paper claims that the Derby boss was Fulham’s number one choice to succeed Chris Coleman but with the Rams closing in on Championship promotion and Davies set to collect a £500,000 bonus, Fulham moved to appoint Lawrie Sanchez as a temporary measure. Former Scotland boss Craig Brown, who remains an influential advisor to Mohamed Al-Fayed, is a huge admirer of Davies, whom he brought to Preston North End.

Fulham are expected to launch another bid to land Davies closer towards the end of the season. Should be successful, Manchester City might offer Northern Ireland boss Sanchez another shot at Premier League management. He is their top candidate to replace Stuart Pearce, who could shortly take over the England under-21 side on a full-time basis.