David Wagner is out of the running to be the new West Brom manager.
The ex-Huddersfield boss emerged as the favourite after Baggies owner Guochuan Lai blocked the appointment of former Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder.
However, Wagner, 49, who has been out of work since leaving Schalke in his native Germany in September 2020, wants to remain closer to home.
Lincoln boss and former West Brom midfielder Michael Appleton has also been linked with a return to the club.
With the Imps likely to demand compensation to allow Appleton to move to The Hawthorns, Wagner’s appeal – having led Huddersfield into the Premier League in 2017 – was obvious.
His decision leaves West Brom still looking for a replacement for Sam Allardyce, who announced his intention to quit at the end of the season on 19 May.
