Crystal Palace are in talks with the agent of Roma manager Paulo Fonseca with his contract unlikely to be extended at the Stadio Olimpico, as reported by Calciomercato.
Could the Eagles really go from a 73-year-old Englishman to a suave, Portuguese-speaking tactician famed for his free-flowing attacking football and designer stubble that wouldn’t look out of place on a Hollywood film set?
Fonseca and Hodgson could hardly be more different.
Yet, according to reports, the former Porto and Braga boss is one of the top targets as Crystal Palace consider a fresh start and new direction.
The Daily Mail reported at the weekend that Fonseca has joined Frank Lampard, Sean Dyche and Steve Cooper on the Selhurst Park shortlist.
Calciomercato goes one step further, stating Palace have already held talks with the 48-year-old’s agent.
Fonseca, like Hodgson, will be out of contract in the summer and the chances of him being handed an extension are about as likely as Wilf Zaha professing his undying love for all things Brighton.
Roma have dropped to seventh in the Serie A table, five points adrift of the Champions League places. But disappointing results are just the tip of the iceberg.
There are major problems behind the scenes in the Italian capital. After a high-profile fall-out with Roma captain Edin Dzeko, Corriere dello Sport claims a number of players are being forced to train alone as internal divisions continue to tear through the squad.
Crystal Palace be warned. Fonseca would arrive with a reputation for fashionable football and a fine CV, including silverware claimed during spells at Porto, Braga and Shakhtar Donetsk.
But if Hodgson is the genial grandfather of English football, Fonseca is a far more combustible character.
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