Birmingham boss Monk becomes leading candidate to take over at West Bromwich

Garry Monk will be a contender to take over at West Bromwich Albion this summer even if the club fail to win promotion to the Premier League.

West Brom have won six of their last nine Championship games since caretaker boss James Shan replaced Darren Moore last month, and hope to go up through the playoffs.

But they are likely to be in the market for a permanent manager at the end of the season and it's understood that Monk is a leading candidate.

The 40-year-old is currently in charge of Birmingham City and has guided the club to safety despite seeing it hit with a nine-point deduction last month for breaking profitability and sustainability rules.

Birmingham are in 17th place in the Championship table, 11 points clear of the relegation zone, and could finish 16th if they win their final game at Reading on Sunday and Stoke lose at home to promoted Sheffield United.

The former Swansea City defender started his managerial career at the South Wales club, keeping them in the Premier League and then engineering an eighth-placed finish before he was sacked in December 2015.

Monk has also been in charge of Leeds and Middlesbrough in the Championship before taking over at Birmingham in March last year.

West Brom have been impressed by the job Monk has done at their Midlands rivals and believe he could be persuaded to move to the Hawthorns even if their promotion bid fails.

Alex Neil was thought to be another contender for the Albion job but signed a new contract at Preston earlier this month.