The Donegal County Board could seal a deal with Jim McGuinness as early as this week, according to reports.
The All-Ireland winning manager is widely tipped to be the next man at the helm of Donegal, nine years after the success of his first stint.
The county board could bring their monthly meeting forward by two weeks to finalise the deal with McGuinness, according to the Irish Independent. Monthly meetings are usually held on the first Monday of each month.
A list of nine candidates has officially expressed an interest in the position since the departure of Aidan O’Rourke, who was the interim manager in the place of Paddy Carr, who resigned before the end of Donegal’s League campaign.
The county board has already said Aidan O’Rourke’s successor does not have to come from that pool of nine candidates.
Among those tasked with choosing the new manager are former Donegal greats and 1992 All-Ireland winners Anthony Molloy and Martin McHugh. Both are huge fans of the Glenties man and former Donegal midfielder.
McGuinness has been working in professional soccer since stepping away from Gaelic games in 2014.
Since returning home to Donegal, he was part of the backroom team at Derry City U-19s, who won the Enda McGuill Cup in 2021. He made it clear earlier this year that he had offered to get involved in some capacity with Donegal for the 2023 season.
