Is Birmingham boss Garry Monk set for a shock exit?

Rumours have been circulating that Garry Monk could be set to make a dramatic exit from Birmingham City.

Monk’s relationship with chief executive Xuandong Ren has completely broken down, as reported by The Telegraph, with the duo disagreeing on the club’s strategy for next season.

However, BBC Sport now reports that the gaffer has “no intention of walking out”.

Monk has been a huge hit at St Andrew's since his appointment in March 2018 following a period of managerial turmoil during which the Blues had been through four gaffers in 15 months.

At the time of his arrival Birmingham were struggling in the relegation zone but Monk steadied the ship and led the club to safety.

Last season Monk’s men were hit with a nine-point deduction in March, which ended any faint hopes they had of making the play-offs. The points penalty meant the club plummeted from 13th to 18th, then secured safety with a 17th place finish.

With speculation mounting that Monk could leave Birmingham after 15 months at the helm, bookmakers have reacted by cutting his odds to just 4/1 in the next Swansea manager market.

England U17s boss Steve Cooper is widely expected to bag the Swans vacancy, and has reportedly been seen at the club’s training centre.

Monk began his managerial at Swansea in 2014, first as interim then permanent after he kept the club in the Premier League. In his first full campaign Monk led the Swans to 8th with a record points total, only to lose his job the following December.

Monk returned to management with Leeds in the summer of 2016, a position he held for only a year before he surprisingly quit. A couple of weeks later he cropped up at Middlesbrough, who had been relegated from the Premier League, however the club surprisingly sacked him in December just four hours after a 2-1 win at Sheffield Wednesday.

In March 2018 Monk took up his fourth job in just over two years after he was named as the new Birmingham boss, and fans will be hoping that the latest reports mean that he’s staying.