Bradford City are preparing to appoint Michael Duff as their new manager following Graham Alexander’s departure for Preston North End.
The 48-year-old is set to take over at Valley Parade with Bradford sitting second in League One, level on 16 points with leaders Plymouth Argyle, who have played one match more.
Duff most recently managed Wycombe Wanderers, where he spent around a year in charge before being dismissed last month. Bradford believe his approach can fit smoothly with the high-intensity 3-4-3 system established under Alexander, which helped the club win promotion from League Two and make a strong start at the higher level.
The former Northern Ireland international has considerable experience across the EFL. His first managerial role came with Cheltenham Town, where he secured promotion from League Two before guiding the club to 15th place in League One in 2021-22, their highest EFL finish at the time.
Duff then joined Barnsley and led them to fourth place in League One. Their promotion challenge ended with defeat by Sheffield Wednesday in the play-off final, after which Duff moved to Swansea City in the Championship.
His time in South Wales lasted only six months, with Swansea dismissing him in December 2023. He returned to management with Huddersfield Town in May 2024 but left the club the following March after a difficult run that included four defeats in five matches.
Wycombe appointed Duff in September 2025 following a winless start to the season. He guided the club to an 11th-place finish before losing his job in September 2026 after the team opened the new League One campaign with three draws and two defeats.
Duff also has a previous connection with Alexander, having played alongside him at Burnley during their careers.
Bradford’s next fixture is an EFL Trophy trip to League Two side Rotherham United on Tuesday, before they return to league action at home to Leyton Orient on Saturday.