(Image: Thomas Gadd)
GRAHAM Alexander will be announced as Preston’s manager today.
His number two Chris Lucketti is also leaving City to join him at Deepdale.
The deal has been done with the management duo, who depart Mbanq Valley Parade after nearly three years at the helm.
Mark Trueman is taking charge of training this morning as the Bantams return to Apperley Bridge after an extended break following the blank weekend.
City have already received a number of applications for the hot-seat vacancy but Trueman is likely to be in the dug-out for Saturday’s game at Reading alongside goalkeeping coach Colin Doyle.
Preston have paid a reported £500,000 in compensation for Alexander, who had been contracted with City until the summer of 2028.
That represents the largest fee the club have received for a manager.
It is understood that Sheffield Wednesday paid less than £200,000 for Paul Jewell in 2000 when City were a Premier League club.
Phil Parkinson, the longest-serving manager this century, went to Bolton 10 years ago for around £25,000.
Alexander is the first boss to go to another club during a season since Roy McFarland’s contentious exit for Derby in 1983.
Preston contacted City on Wednesday afternoon for permission to speak to him – 10 days after sacking Paul Heckingbottom and Stuart McCall. Names like Robbie Keane, Rob Edwards and Leighton Baines had been widely touted and it is likely that other candidates had already turned the offer down.
City “reluctantly” agreed to the Championship club’s request and negotiations have taken place over the last few days to get the move finalised.
The Bantams have pushed Preston to sort everything as quickly as possible to minimise the disruption as they get back to League One action following the postponement of their scheduled home game against Barnsley on Saturday.
Alexander leaves City still top of the division after Plymouth blew the chance to overtake them over the weekend when they lost 1-0 to Gary Bowyer’s Burton at Home Park.
City have won five games in a row – including their last three in the league to go a point clear of Sheffield Wednesday.
Alexander would have had a very strong shout to be named manager of the month if he was still at the club.
Alexander’s 79 victories put him in joint-fifth for most wins as City manager – and the only one to achieve that in under 200 games. The 10 consecutive home wins during the promotion season in 2024/25 set a new club record.
Alexander has a huge reputation at Preston where he played more than 400 times. He was one of the pall bearers at the funeral of club legend Sir Tom Finney in 2014.
He will have to wait for his first game in charge because of the long international break. Preston’s next fixture is at home to Millwall on October 10 – when Alexander and Lucketti will face a reunion with midfielder Jenson Metcalfe.
They are currently second from bottom in the Championship with only four points from eight games.