Dundee are likely to bring Jim Duffy back to Dens Park should manager Ivano Bonetti fail to return to the Scottish Premier League club.

Speculation mounted that Bonetti wants to remain in Italy with his pregnant wife after claims that he had cleared his desk and his Scottish home.

And it is believed that, although he has contacted the club, Bonetti has yet to arrange a meeting with chief executive Peter Marr or give an indication of when he intends to return.

In the uncertain circumstances, it is almost certain that Dundee will have sounded out possible replacements.

Paraguayan coach Francisco Ocampo claimed that he had been offered the job as Bonetti's successor, but it appears that former Dundee and Hibernian boss Duffy is the man likely to be looked upon as the best candidate.

Dundee have denied that they have lined anybody up as a replacement.

But Marr is an admirer of Duffy, who has added to his CV with spells as a coach at Chelsea and assistant at Portsmouth.

Ocampo, who is in charge of the Sol de America club, was quoted in newspapers in his homeland saying he had held talks at Dens Park and had been offered the post still held by the Italian.

A Dundee spokesman confirmed that Ocampo did, indeed, meet with directors Jimmy Marr and Jim O'Connor last month - but refuted Ocampo's job offer claims.

"We can categorically deny that anybody has been offered the job at Dens Park," said the spokesman.

"Ivano Bonetti is our manager and, as we have said repeatedly in the past few days, we remain in constructive discussions with him.

"We are in touch with Mr Ocampo, but that is because he is the agent for our players, Fabian Caballero and Juan Sara, and there is a possibility that he could help bring more talented South Americans to Dens Park.

"It was a routine meeting to discuss that."

Ocampo said: "I believe Dundee Football Club is a gold mine that hasn't yet been discovered.

"I have helped the clubs in Paraguay earn �28m in sales. So why can I not help Dundee do the same?

"With good players, hard work and time, the target should be to be the third force in Scottish football.

"This is not an exaggeration."

Bonetti has a year of his current deal left to run but has been made vulnerable by a season of under-achievement.

If he were to leave of his own accord, he would lose a year's pay.