PREMIER LEAGUE
Could Newcastle be Pellegrini's next port of call?
The Chilean coach has an tempting offer from Zenit on the table but would prefer to stay on in England, even if it means taking on a side who are not in Europe.
Manuel Pellegrini hopes to remain in England, ideally, with a Premier League club, when his time at Manchester City comes to an end this summer. The Chilean is weighing up a number of options including a lucrative offer from Russian Premier League outfit Zenit and also an option closer to home - the Newcastle job.
Pellegrini is open to coaching a side who won't be involved in European comeptition next season but the Magpies' situation is another story. The team are second from bottom on 24 points but with a game in hand, and will be one of at least seven teams involved in the relegation battle between now and May.
Steve McLaren's continuation is not guaranteed and even if he manages to steer the team to safety for another season in the top flight, there will likely be changes to the coaching staff ahead of the new campaign.
Should Newcastle stay up and Pellegrini take on the job, it wouldn't be new situation for him - he worked miracles at Málaga and Villarreal, and is used to starting a new project entirely from scratch.