Birmingham City, Leicester City and West Brom must be on alert after Lee Carsley update | OneFootball

FLW takes a look at three EFL clubs that should look to appoint Lee Carsley this summer

Lee Carsley could be in line for a return to club management soon, with the England U21 boss setting his sights on leaving the international stage.

As per Alan Nixon, England U21 head coach Lee Carsley has targeted a return to club management, with the 40-capped former Republic of Ireland midfielder set to step away from international duty.

Having been in the Three Lions setup with the U20, U21, and senior side for the last six years, the 52-year-old is looking to step back into a busier role within the club game.

Winning the European Championships in both 2023 and 2025 with England's U21S, Carsley had previously spent time in charge of Coventry City and Birmingham City as caretaker boss, as well as a brief stint with Brentford in 2015.

Now seemingly ready to test himself in a more frequent role, FLW has taken a look at three EFL clubs that could look to appoint Carsley in the summer ahead of the next campaign.

Birmingham City

Some Birmingham City fans will be familiar with Carsley, with the Young Lions boss having spent two years at St Andrews as a player between 2008 and 2010, and then in 2017 as a caretaker boss.

It's been a disappointing campaign for Blues upon their return to the second tier, who have fallen well beneath pre-season expectations and find themselves with little to no chance of breaking into the top six at this stage.

Chris Davies did a remarkable job to achieve 111 points on their way to the League One title last year, but the former Leicester City and Celtic coach has failed to impress in the second tier so far.

Murmurs about his potential departure have persisted over the months, and should he leave the club at the end of the season, Carsley could be a perfect fit.

Already familiar with the club, as previously stated, and with a reputation for helping young players develop and thrive, he could fit the mould into exactly what the Birmingham ownership is looking for.

Leicester City

Leicester City's future remains unclear, with the Foxes, now led by Gary Rowett, battling to avoid relegation to League One this season.

The club's demise has been well documented at this stage, and regardless of what league they are playing their football in next year, it's going to be a huge summer turnover, with whoever is in charge facing an uphill task to turn the club around.

Carsley has demonstrated his man-management ability during his time with England, having seamlessly stepped into the senior role following the departure of Gareth Southgate and before the appointment of Thomas Tuchel.

Leicester will likely have to work with an array of young players again next season, given the club's financial situation, and there will be fewer better candidates to take charge of that sort of group than Carsley.

Whether the Birmingham-born boss would take a step down to League One remains to be seen, though, despite the club's situation, Leicester remains an attractive proposition for any potential suitors, and should do everything in their power to convince Carsley to take charge at the King Power this summer.

West Brom

Like Leicester, West Brom's immediate future is cast in doubt, with the Baggies also potentially playing their football in the third tier next year.

It's been a hugely dysfunctional season at The Hawthorns, with an array of poor decisions at the top leading them to where they find themselves now, albeit four games without defeat and back-to-back wins under James Morrison have eased nerves somewhat.

Ryan Mason's tenure ended disappointingly, and Eric Ramsay's time at the helm was an unmitigated disaster, with Morrison now tasked to keep the Black Country outfit afloat.

It's unclear at this stage whether Morrison would be in line for the permanent role in any instance, and the club's hierarchy must consider all its options first.

Carsley could prove to be a good fit at West Brom if he were appointed, with the Baggies needing someone to come in and steady the ship next season, regardless of where they're playing their football.