Former Halfords chief executive Ian McLeod is rumoured to be on the list of candidates to replace the outgoing head of Sainsbury’s Justin King.

Ian McLeod, who left Australian retailer Coles last week after five years in the role in order to move to a more senior role in the parent group. The move to Coles from Halfords in 2008 made Mr McLeod a respected figure in global retail, turning around the fortunes of the supermarket chain.

Mr King, who is set to retire in July, is prevented from working at any of Sainsbury’s competitors due to a clause in his contract and has not disclosed details about his next role. There were rumours that he may take the reigns at Formula One but this has since been denied.