Chester have widened their search for a new manager having so far failed to come to an agreement with their number one target.

With talks having stalled with their preferred candidate - widely believed to be former Leeds United boss Neil Redfearn – the Chester board have now opened discussions with a ‘number of parties’ and are even willing to listen to late applications for the role.

Chester are understandably cautious regarding any financial package they are set to offer their new manager, given the financial turmoil the club has faced over the past six months, which was a by-product of financial overspend last summer on the first-team and management budget, including two-year contracts handed out on inflated wages. Chester's supporters staved off a second liquidation within eight years in recent months by raising over £100,000 to keep the club afloat.

Club director Andrew Morris, who has taken a lead role in the search for a fifth permanent manager since the Blues reformed in 2010, explained the board still hope to agree terms with their first-choice target, but will not overreach their budget if any prospective manager’s demands are too high, as the club prepare for next season in National League North.

“As has been documented, interviews with a number of candidates took place last week,” said Morris.

“We decided on our preferred candidate and there has been an offer of a financial package, what we consider to be our best offer, but we are yet to come to a financial agreement.

“As a result, we’ve had to come up with different plans, B, C and D if you like. There needs to be an option as a back-up plan.

“Conversations with a number of parties are now taking place regarding the role. We’ve got to show prudence. We’re working towards a financial package that’s got to be within our budget.

“Imagine if we went over that budget. We’d end up in a situation like January in no time at all and we simply won’t let that happen.”

Chester will not simply offer the role to one of their other shortlisted candidates, with Morris explaining some ‘stellar names’ are interested in the role, but confirmed the Blues were not looking to ‘head hunt’ another manager currently in employment.

Former Mansfield boss Adam Murray, ex-Hartlepool manager Craig Harrison and former Blues assistant manager Ian Sharps are all understood to have declared an interest in the job, while former Bangor City manager Kevin Nicholson is also understood to have been high up on the Blues' shortlist following the initial interviews.

“We are accepting late applications who are contacting the club, and we’re reviewing some of the CVs we received initially,” he added.

“We’ve got to be proactive in seeking a new manager but what we will not do is head hunt someone from another club.

“The other names we are talking to, they are stellar names. I can assure the supporters we’re being prudent. We’ll be talking with the interested parties over the next couple of days.”