Former Blackburn Rovers boss Graeme Souness has emerged as a new front-runner for the vacant manager's job at Bolton Wanderers.

Souness is now considered a likely candidate to succeed Sammy Lee, if Reebok chairman Phil Gartside is unwilling to pay the £1million it could cost to lure either Chris Coleman from Real Sociedad or Leicester's Gary Megson.

Megson is believed to be Gartside's first choice but, if Bolton continue to pursue the former West Brom and Nottingham Forest manager, they could find himself on an expensive collision course with Leicester chairman, Milan Mandaric.

And our sister newspaper The Bolton News reports "there is no doubt that Souness is now high on the list".

The 54-year-old Scot has been off the management scene since leaving Newcastle in February 2006 after a turbulent 18 months on Tyneside.