Fulham manager latest: Club prepare move for Birmingham boss Gary Rowett - sources

By Editor Wayne Veysey| Former Evening Standard, Press Association and Goal chief correspondent with 17 years experience of breaking big stories, including exclusives like this

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Fulham are ready to make a move for Gary Rowett as they step up plans to appoint a new manager,

Football Insider 

sources understand. The Londoners have turned their sights on the Birmingham boss after talks to land Reading's Steve Clarke and former Leicester boss Nigel Pearson broke down. A senior Fulham source has told

Football Insider 

that the club have been impressed by Rowett's achievements at Birmingham since taking over a year ago. He took over when the Midlands club were second bottom of the Championship, kept them up and has steered them into sixth place in the league this season. Fulham believe former Burton boss Rowett, 41, also fits the model of the management structure they are keen to maintain. Owner Shahid Khan wants to appoint a head coach-type figure who can work with transfer chief Mike Rigg rather than a traditional manager in the mould of Harry Redknapp or former Charlton and West Ham boss Alan Curbishley, who is advising caretaker Peter Grant. As revealed by

Football Insider, 

a deal with Pearson now appears dead in the water

as his long-time assistants Steve Walsh and Craig Shakespeare are unwilling to quit Leicester for a pay cut.

Reading manager Steve Clarke had agreed the terms of a contract with the Londoners but the deal collapsed

after he tried to renegotiate lucrative top-up bonuses. Fulham have now moved on to other targets as they try to find a replacement for Kit Symons, who was sacked earlier this month.