Paris Saint-Germain head coach Christophe Galtier has found support after being accused of making racist comments about players during his time as Nice boss.

The allegations came in an e-mail allegedly sent by former Nice football director Julien Fournier at the end of last season.

According to The Athletic, the email's recipient was Dave Brailsford, director of sport at INEOS, the company that owns Nice.

The contents of the email were first reported on Tuesday evening, with Galtier alleged to have told Fournier – in Fournier's words – that the club "could not have so many blacks and Muslims in the team".

Fournier and Galtier both left Nice after the end of last season, with Galtier cherry-picked to be coach of champions PSG.

Galtier's lawyer, Olivier Martin, said the 56-year-old PSG coach "contests with the greatest firmness" the accusations made against him. In a statement to AFP, Martin said Galtier "learned with amazement of the insulting and defamatory remarks".

Fournier allegedly also mentioned John Valovic, the agent and adopted son of Galtier, in the e-mail.

Valovic responded on Instagram, writing: "Thanks to everyone for your support. The accusations against me are false and intolerable. They will not remain without consequences."

Veteran Turkish striker Burak Yilmaz, who played under Galtier at Lille, said the claims of racism did not tally with his own experiences.

In a message posted on Instagram on Wednesday evening, Yilmaz wrote: "I read the news today and I felt like I have to say something. I worked with Galtier and never felt any negative behaviour from him about my religion or nationality.

"He is a great coach as well as a great person."

Defender Jose Fonte, who along with Yilmaz won the 2020-21 Ligue 1 title under Galtier at Lille, also stressed the claims came as a surprise.

"In three years working with Mr Galtier, he was always close to his players and above all, very respectful," Fonte wrote. "It is upsetting reading some news today. I have only good things to say about this man."

Jean-Michel Aulas, the long-standing president of Lyon, said he was "very sorry" for Galtier.

According to the Nice-Matin newspaper and other French media, security around Galtier has been tightened up since the allegations came to light.

Aulas, quoted by RMC, said: "I am very shocked and very sorry for Christophe, whom I know personally.

"I cannot imagine this kind of thing, but it's not for me to pass judgement. We see things happening in the public square that are so different from what we advocate in football.

"From the moment Christophe expresses his refusal to accept this type of information, he has every right to do so."

Nice issued a statement on Wednesday that read: “The facts related concern two people who no longer work for OGC Nice. This situation was treated with the utmost seriousness at the time of the events. The club will not comment further."

Fournier has firmly denied leaking the email, saying in a statement to Nice-Matin: "I am in no way responsible for the dissemination of this year-old internal information at the time of my departure from the club. The timing of these revelations revolts me as much as their content."

Galtier is expected to make a routine appearance at a PSG pre-match press conference on Friday, ahead of his team's top-of-the-table Ligue 1 game against Lens the following day.

Kylian Mbappe scotched the prospect of an early escape from his Paris Saint-Germain contract by declaring he still wants to win the Champions League with his home city club.

The newly installed France captain signed an extension to his PSG contract last May, keeping him with the Ligue 1 champions potentially until the end of the 2024-25 season.

That staved off strong interest from Real Madrid in the player who went on to be top scorer at the Qatar World Cup, hitting a hat-trick in a losing cause against Argentina in the final.

For Mbappe, triumphing in the Champions League with the French capital giants would be the crowning glory of his career.

PSG went close in 2020, losing out 1-0 to Bayern Munich in the final, but they have been bundled out at the last-16 stage in the last two seasons, with Real Madrid taking their scalp last year and Bayern Munich their conquerors this time around.

"The next level? To win the Champions League, I think," Mbappe told France 3 show Tout Le Sport.

"I've already made a final, semi-final, quarter-final, round of 16… I have done everything except winning.

"That's all I need. I hope it will be as soon as possible.

"Where? At Paris Saint-Germain. I'm Parisian and under contract. So it's Paris Saint-Germain."

Mbappe also dreams of winning an Olympic gold medal with France, so it is possible the 24-year-old could double up next year and compete at Paris 2024 after representing Les Bleus at the European Championship.

"I don't know if I'll be there," Mbappe said. "But, in any case, I hope to be there.

"Everyone knows that I've always dreamed of playing the Olympic Games. It doesn't depend on me. There are a lot of parameters that come into play, and we will have to study them all.

"There is a club, a national team with a Euro before. So we have to talk before. These are all parameters that must be taken into account.

"But of course it would be a dream for me to compete in the Olympics, even more so in Paris."

Ronald Koeman has welcomed the idea of Lionel Messi making a return to Barcelona and believes the Argentina star is still the best player in the world.

The former Barcelona boss was in charge during Messi's last season with the Catalan club before he made an emotional exit on a free transfer to French giants Paris Saint-Germain.

Barca sacked the Dutchman in October 2021 after a poor run of form with the 60-year-old now returning to manage the Netherlands national team following the retirement of Louis van Gaal after the World Cup in Qatar. 

Koeman himself will not be returning to Barcelona any time soon, but he still holds out hopes that Messi will make a romantic return to the club, amid speculation such a move is in the works.

"Messi is the best player in the world and when he left it was difficult," he said at the Koeman Cup, a charity golf and paddle event. 

"The team that has him is going to be stronger. His departure from Barca was a very bad day.

"If I see Leo with another shirt it hurts me. It's his home, where he needs to be. It was not good that the board did not give him the possibility to stay, but I am in favour of Messi being a Barca player."

Since his sacking, Koeman's successor Xavi has led Barcelona on an inspired league run this season with the side 13 points clear at the top of LaLiga with just 10 games remaining.

"With Xavi they have improved and will surely win the league," Koeman said of the head coach. 

"It's a much-improved squad. A coach is good or bad depending on his players. For me, we have to celebrate this league in a big way because we are talking about several previous seasons that Barca has not won anything. 

"Barca are there for their own quality and for their defence. It should be noted that they have only conceded nine goals. It is deserved and if the others have not been at this level, it is their problem."

Paris Saint-Germain defender Nordi Mukiele will miss the remainder of the season after undergoing an operation on his damaged hamstring.

The one-cap France international has featured in 25 of PSG's 42 games in all competitions since arriving from RB Leipzig last August, starting 14 of those.

However, the 25-year-old has not played since sustaining the injury in the second leg of PSG's Champions League last-16 tie with Bayern Munich last month.

The Ligue 1 leaders confirmed on their official website on Tuesday that Mukiele will not figure in the eight league games they have left this season. 

"Nordi Mukiele is suffering from a serious hamstring injury. To minimise the risk of recurrence, the Paris Saint-Germain medical staff opted for an operation," the statement read.

"The operation will be performed in Finland today and will keep him out of action until the end of the season."

PSG also said midfielder Renato Sanches will miss between three and four weeks with an adductor injury sustained in last weekend's win over Nice.

Christophe Galtier's side are six points clear of closest challengers Lens, who they host in their next match on Saturday.

Bayern Munich have reportedly fallen out of love with the idea of Tottenham striker Harry Kane and are instead prioritising Eintracht Frankfurt frontman Randal Kolo Muani.

Kolo Muani, 24, has been one of Europe's breakout forwards this season. After arriving on a free transfer ahead of the current season, he has scored a career-high 19 goals in 38 appearances.

The explosive striker was rewarded with an international call-up by France for the World Cup in Qatar, scoring his first senior goal in the semi-final against Morocco before having his potential tournament-winning strike saved by Argentina's Emiliano Martinez deep into extra-time in the final.

His rise onto the world stage has not gone unnoticed, and now Bayern view him as one of their top targets at the position.

TOP STORY – BAYERN NOW VALUE KOLO MUANI ABOVE KANE

According to Sky Sports Germany, Bayern are desperate to recruit a new star striker in the upcoming transfer window, but since the departure of Julian Nagelsmann "Harry Kane is no longer very popular" internally.

Another target mentioned is Napoli's Victor Osimhen, but an asking price well over €100million makes that an unrealistic proposition, while Benfica's Goncalo Ramos is also mentioned as a potential alternative.

But Kolo Muani is now supposedly at the top of the list, even though Frankfurt have informed them that they will have to fork out around €100m to pry away the talent after he recently signed an extension – with no release clause – tying him to the club until 2027.

ROUND-UP

– Football Insider is reporting Aston Villa have strong interest in 27-year-old Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips, who would reportedly cost a club-record £45million.

– According to Foot Mercato, Paris Saint-Germain are big fans of 23-year-old Nice centre-back Jean-Clair Todibo and will make a run at him in the next transfer window.

– Brighton and Hove Albion are confident 18-year-old striker Evan Ferguson will sign a new contract with the club despite interest from Manchester United and Tottenham, per the Daily Mail.

– Sport is reporting Barcelona's 19-year-old left-back Alejandro Balde is close to signing a new four-year contract that will include a £1billion release clause.

– According to Sport Bild, Arsenal and Chelsea are both investigating the price of 24-year-old Wolfsburg right-back Ridle Baku.

Alessandro Bastoni, 23, is a player on the rise at Inter, having made his Italy debut in 2020 and winning the Scudetto in 2021.

But the central defender's future with the Nerazzurri is uncertain amid an inability to come to an agreement with the club on a new contract.

Bastoni's contract expires in 2024 and he has been in talks with Inter on a new deal, but two of European football's giants are reportedly circling.

TOP STORY – BASTONI IN PSG AND CITY'S SIGHTS

Powerhouse clubs Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City will both attempt to sign Alessandro Bastoni from Inter in the off-season, reports Tuttosport.

The report claims Bastoni has been offered an improved deal by Inter but it does not meet his salary expectations, meaning no agreement has been reached.

PSG and City are both known to have endless pockets and could swoop to sign the talented Italian defender.

ROUND-UP

– Karim Benzema has turned down an offer from Saudi Arabia and instead wants to stay with Real Madrid for at least one more season, according to Marca.

– Juventus are weighing up a move for Valencia skipper Jose Gaya, reports Calciomercato. Gaya extended his contract with Los Che until 2027 last October.

– Football Insider claims Tottenham have registered their interest in signing Chelsea winger Hakim Ziyech.

– Calciomercato reports Milan are tracking Arsenal forward Folarin Balogun, who has impressed this season on loan with French club Reims.

– Ex-Leeds United manager Jesse Marsch has opted against taking up Leicester City's offer to become their new boss, claims The Telegraph.

Marquinhos is hoping to play another 200 times for Paris Saint-Germain after confirming he is in advanced talks with the Ligue 1 giants over a new contract.

The centre-back played his 400th match for PSG in Saturday's 2-0 win over Nice and is fast closing in on Jean-Marc Pilorget's club record of 435 appearances.

Brazil international Marquinhos is into his 10th season at the Parc des Princes since arriving from Roma, but he has just one year left to run on his existing deal.

Marquinhos has previously stated he wants to extend his stay in the French capital, though, and an agreement between the long-serving player and club may soon be reached.

"We're on the final details," he is quoted as saying by RMC Sport. "Playing my 400th match for Paris was incredible. I didn't imagine this when I arrived at a young age.

"Back then I was just thinking about having fun and playing. We've had good times and difficult times, but as I've said before, I've always had the same passion to give my best.

"Now I hope to play another 100 or 200 games... the most possible!"

Most of Marquinhos' games have been in Ligue 1 (262), followed by the Champions League (81), Coupe de France (31), Coupe de la Ligue (20) and Trophee des Champions (6).

The 28-year-old has captained PSG since February last year and has won 27 trophies, including seven Ligue 1 crowns.

"PSG always shows me a lot of gratitude, the fans too, everyone in the club," Marquinhos added. "I am very very happy in Paris."

Marquinhos played a full part in the win over Nice, which maintained PSG's six-point lead over Lens at the top of Ligue 1 as they aim to keep hold of their title.

The Parisians have collected 69 points after 30 matches – no team in Ligue 1 history has failed to finish top after accumulating as many points at this stage.

It was far from a vintage display against Nice, however, with Gianluigi Donnarumma's seven saves the joint-second most he has made in a game this season.

"We know we can do much better, but in the current context, we must not be too angry, we must take things step by step," Marquinhos said. "We've had some difficult moments. 

"Today, even if it wasn't our best game, we won. It was very important to take these three points, to gain confidence, to regain a good dynamic, to find a good atmosphere.

"It was important to win here tonight. It's a very positive point for us because in the last few games, in the difficult moments, we gave away goals, and that changed the game. 

"I think there are several points to remember, not just the result, but yes, the result is the most important."

Christophe Galtier discussed his hostile return to Nice and hailed Paris Saint-Germain's resolve following their 2-0 victory on Saturday.

Goals from Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos ensured a return to winning ways after back-to-back losses for the Ligue 1 champions.

Defeats against Rennes and Lyon had seen the league leaders slip up in their title pursuit, marking out their trip to Galtier's old club as a must-win.

The former Nice boss was greeted with offensive banners upon his return – one of which targeted his mother to his understandable frustration.

"I went to thank them for this wonderful welcome," he told Canal+, before explaining his gesture towards the supporters.

"Why did I react like this? Did you see? Did you read? Did you hear? My mother, she's 83 years old, recovering from cancer."

On the match, Galtier added: "We obviously had a lot of pressure on our shoulders.

"[With] our underperformance, with the victory for [second-placed] Lens and especially against Nice, coming to win here was important.

"We didn't have our best game of the season, but we had a lot of solidarity and fighting spirit. We have three important points [as a result]."

Victory at Allianz Riviera saw PSG restore a six-point cushion between them and Lens, who they face next weekend in what is set to be a decisive clash in the title race.

Galtier stressed he will need his side to up their game against their rivals for the Ligue 1 crown, adding: "Next week, it will take as much fighting spirit, but we must be better on the ball.

"[We are] six points ahead. It's better to have them than to chase after them. We have an important game on Saturday."

Goals from Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos helped Paris Saint-Germain secure a much-needed 2-0 victory against Nice in Ligue 1 on Saturday.

Messi struck 26 minutes in at Allianz Riviera, before he supplied the cross from a corner for Ramos' second-half header.

Victory was a first in three games for Christophe Galtier's side after back-to-back defeats, although they were indebted to goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma as much as Messi.

Nice peppered the PSG goal either side of half-time, only to come away empty-handed against their former coach, suffering their first defeat under Didier Digard.

PSG had started the brighter, knowing a victory was required to restore a six-point cushion to second-placed Lens, and went close to an opener when Danilo Pereira's header beat Kasper Schmeichel but bounced back out off the post.

Four minutes later, Messi made the breakthrough when he finished into the roof of the net from Nuno Mendes' square pass inside the area.

Nice refused to back down, however, and Donnarumma made excellent saves to deny both Nicolas Pepe and Terem Moffi late in the first half.

That momentum continued into the second half, with Dante agonisingly close to a deserved equaliser when the ball bounced down off the crossbar and back out via the post without fully crossing the goal line.

Further Donnarumma saves followed, including another notable stop from Pepe shortly after Dante's effort, and Nice were made to pay for their profligacy when Ramos rose highest at the other end to meet Messi's corner.

Danilo then headed against his own crossbar in the closing stages, summing up Nice's rotten luck.

Chelsea and Manchester United are reportedly both in discussions with Benfica about a potential deal for striker Goncalo Ramos – although he is said to be neither team's top choice.

Ramos, 21, has enjoyed a breakout season in Portugal. After scoring eight goals in 46 appearances in the previous campaign, Ramos has replaced Darwin Nunez as Benfica's main man up top and netted 25 goals in 38 games.

He also shone on the world stage, scoring a hat-trick in Portugal's round-of-16 World Cup clash against Switzerland after replacing Cristiano Ronaldo, and despite his contract tying him to Benfica until 2026, the club are willing to listen to substantial offers.

TOP STORY – CHELSEA JOIN UNITED IN MAKING RAMOS THEIR BACKUP PLAN

According to Football Insider, Chelsea's top priority up front is Napoli's Victor Osimhen, while United have Tottenham's Harry Kane at the top of their shopping list, but both view Ramos as the ideal consolation prize.

Kane is expected to fetch a fee in the range of £100million, and Osimhen's asking price is even higher, but while Ramos has a £105m release clause in his contract, the report states Benfica will accept bids around £70m (€79m).

Improving Chelsea's chances is the fact Ramos is represented by the same agency as Joao Felix, who is on loan at Stamford Bridge from Atletico Madrid.

ROUND-UP

– Cadena SER is reporting Paris Saint-Germain have joined the race for Borussia Dortmund star Jude Bellingham and would be able to pay him more than any other club.

– After recently making his senior debut for Italy, 23-year-old Argentine-born striker Mateo Retegui will make a move to Europe at the end of the season, with Eintracht Frankfurt and Inter showing the most interest, per Fabrizio Romano.

– Football Insider is reporting Newcastle United, Arsenal and Barcelona are all expected to make a run at signing Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans on a free transfer when his contract expires at the end of the season.

Christophe Galtier described Paris Saint-Germain's form as "unacceptable" as the champions look to prevent their lead atop Ligue 1 from being trimmed again.

After losing their last two games at home to Rennes and Lyon, PSG sit just six points ahead of second-place Lens, having already been knocked out of the Champions League by Bayern Munich.

Ahead of a trip to his former side Nice, who have not lost since early January, Galtier has made his feelings clear to PSG's star-studded squad.

"We have prepared well for Nice," he said at a press conference. "I spoke to my players the day after the [Lyon] game and I asked them to be more committed and show more personality.

"We also need to be more respectful of instructions during games. That relates to our setup and commitment, which were not enough."

He added: "We know we need to do more, and I mean everyone, including me. We need to do much more. We need to play better football and show more personality.

"We also need to be proud because at PSG, we need to perform well in every game, and the current situation is unacceptable... When the players are on the same page and are fully committed throughout the game, we know we can perform very well."

Having only lost four games in the whole of 2022, PSG have already been beaten eight times in 2023, leaving Galtier's future shrouded in doubt.

But the 56-year-old insists he is not feeling the pressure.

"Of course, when we lose, and that was the eighth one and it was a significant one, it is not about pressure," he said. "It is about analysing that moment and getting the analysis right so that there are no excuses.

"As to whether I feel comfortable, I do. But we need to get out of this spiral and put some wins together. We are after our 11th league title and this is what I said to the players as well. We have a six-point lead which may seem like a lot, but it can change quickly in football."

Galtier also drew a line under Kylian Mbappe's unhappy reaction to being used by the club in a promotional video for season ticket renewals without his knowledge.

"It is very difficult for me to talk about that," he said. "Kylian Mbappe has a relationship with the club and this morning he was very smiley and committed as always.

"He also has had a small hip problem, but that will not affect him playing on Saturday against Nice.

"Everyone has their own way of reacting. Kylian has been talking to the board and if we call that an incident, maybe there has been a misunderstanding, which has now been put to bed."

Paris Saint-Germain will be without Marco Verratti for Saturday's trip to Nice due to a hamstring injury.

The Italy international was notably absent during Friday's training session, which was being watched closely by president Nasser Al-Khelaifi and football advisor Luis Campos.

PSG subsequently confirmed Verratti has been struggling with a hamstring strain that required him to stay inside for treatment.

While the club did not give much of an outline about the injury's severity, they did state more information will be provided early next week.

As such, Verratti will seemingly be unable to feature for Christophe Galtier on Saturday as PSG look to end a slump against the coach's former employers.

Defending champions PSG have lost each of their past two Ligue 1 games, suffering successive top-flight defeats for the first time since September 2020.

Nice have not been in the finest of form themselves, drawing their previous four league outings, meaning PSG will likely be confident of avoiding losing three in a row in Ligue 1 for the first time in 13 years.

You have to go back another three years to the last time PSG failed to score in three consecutive Ligue 1 games (four), with Rennes and Lyon shutting the Parisians out either side of the March international break.

PSG remain at the top of Ligue 1, but the recent blip has seen their lead cut to just six points ahead of Lens, their next opponents after the trip to Nice.

Kylian Mbappe lashed out at Paris Saint-Germain over a promotional video for season ticket renewals after he was heavily featured in the campaign.

The forward penned a fresh contract with the Ligue 1 champions last year, following a lengthy transfer saga over a potential move to Real Madrid.

But despite being tied down until 2025, the France striker's future continues to draw speculation, particularly amid faltering form for Christophe Galtier's team.

Now Mbappe has aired his frustration over being the centre-piece of PSG's season ticket renewal push, and vowed to push to protect his image rights.

"I just took part in the viewing of the club's re-subscription campaign for the 23-24 season," he said. "At no time was I informed of the content of the interview.

"It looked like a basic interview during a club marketing day. I don't agree with this published video. That's why I'm fighting for the right to the individual image.

"PSG is a big club and a big family, but it is especially not Kylian Saint-Germain."

Mbappe's comments come amid a rough run for PSG, with three losses in their last four games across all competitions and a Champions League exit to boot.

Though they remain at the summit of Ligue 1, the runaway procession they had looked likely to enjoy for another league title has been all but scotched by back-to-back defeats in the top-flight.

Both Lens and Marseille lie just six points off them, ahead of a trip to European-chasing Nice this Saturday.

Liverpool are reportedly no longer pursuing Wolves midfielder Matheus Nunes and will instead pivot to Brighton and Hove Albion young gun Moises Caicedo or Chelsea and England talent Mason Mount.

The decision to turn their attention away from Nunes comes after Wolves removed a release clause in his contract that would have made him available for £44million in the upcoming transfer window, according to The Mirror.

The report states Wolves will still entertain the possibility of selling Nunes, but will now demand at least £50m for the player they paid £38m for in an August transfer from Sporting CP.

TOP STORY – LIVERPOOL TURN TO CAICEDO, MOUNT AFTER NUNES REVELATION

With Nunes out of the equation, The Mirror is reporting Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham remains the top priority, but Liverpool will investigate more "realistic" moves for Caicedo or Mount.

Caicedo, 21, signed a new contract with Brighton after the club turned down a £70m offer from Arsenal in January, but according to Football Insider the Seagulls were primarily against letting a top talent leave mid-season and will be far more open to discussions in the off-season.

Mount, 24, now has 15 months remaining on his Chelsea contract and has shown no signs of signing an extension, making him a prime candidate to leave the club in an effort to balance their books after lavish spending in the past 12 months.

ROUND-UP

– The Daily Mail is reporting Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham are among a host of clubs with interest in the £40million (€45.6m) release clause of 26-year-old Napoli centre-back Kim Min-jae, who would prefer a Premier League move if he is to leave Serie A.

– According to Fabrizio Romano, Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal have made an official offer to impending free agent Lionel Messi that would pay him £350m per year.

– Lazio are trying to convince star 28-year-old midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic to sign a new two-year extension to repel interest from Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal, Juventus, United and Chelsea, per Football Italia.

– Sky Sports Germany's Florian Plettenberg is reporting RB Leipzig and Inter are both pushing to sign breakout 23-year-old Tigre striker Mateo Retegui after the Argentine-born talent made his international debut for Italy recently.

– According to Mundo Deportivo, Atletico Madrid have offered 30-year-old striker Alvaro Morata a contract extension as he prepares to enter the final year of his current deal, although the club are willing to sell him if he would prefer a new challenge.

Lionel Messi appeared set to re-sign with Paris Saint-Germain late last year, but the situation has changed.

There have been reports that the Argentinian World Cup winner is unhappy at PSG, with links to an MLS move.

Messi is contracted until the end of this season and had initially agreed to a one-year extension to stay in the French capital.

TOP STORY – MESSI AND PSG RELATIONSHIP IRREPARABLE

L'Equipe claims Messi's relationship with PSG irreparable and he is all but certain to exit at the end of this season, with a return to Barcelona appearing increasingly likely.

Messi spent more than 20 years at Camp Nou, before Barca's financial challenges led to his departure for PSG in August 2021, with the club keen to welcome him back.

The 35-year-old was jeered by PSG fans during Sunday's 1-0 home loss to Lyon amid speculation of his departure.

ROUND-UP

– The Athletic reports signing Tottenham forward Harry Kane is Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag's "absolute priority" in the off-season. Kane is out of contract with Spurs in 2024.

– The Sun claims United are strongly considering selling under-performing winger Jadon Sancho in the off-season, with a view to using the sum generated to purchase their next forward.

– United have also held exploratory talks with Bayern Munich defender Benjamin Pavard, per The Athletic.

– Real Madrid have been linked with Chelsea's Reece James and Football Insider claims they are willing to pay £90m (£102.5m) for his services, with 31-year-old right-back Dani Carvajal struggling with injuries.

– Arsenal are plotting a move for Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins during the next transfer window, according to Fichajes.

– Talksport claims  Graham Potter has declined the opportunity to become Leicester City 's new manager, with The Mail reporting that he will wait until the off-season before taking on a new role.