Galway United part company with manager Shane Keegan

Galway United have parted company with manager Shane Keegan by mutual consent following a second disappointing season.

The Laois man had five months left to run on a two-year deal but the First Division club have opted to pull the plug early as they mull over a possible deal with middle eastern investors.

Galway are winless in their last five games and sit in the bottom half of the table at the midpoint in the season with just 26 points from their first 17 games.

33-year-old Keegan took over at Deacy Park at the end of a 2016 season that saw his Wexford Youths side relegated from the Premier Division in a play-off defeat to Drogheda United.

And he became the first manager in League of Ireland history to be relegated in successive years with different clubs as the Tribesmen fell victim to the move to a ten-team league.

The club invested heavily over the winter with the return of former captain Ryan Connolly and the arrival of striker Danny Furlong on a two-year deal.

That hasn't been turned into points and, with co-op members due to vote today on ceding up to 75% of the club's shares to investors from Saudi Arabia, the club have moved for a clean break.

Galway United confirmed last week that a Saudi consortium – later revealed to be led by former Al-Hilal vice chairman Abdulrahman Al Neymer – had approached the club about a potential takeover.