Since starting at the BoE in July 2013, Carney delayed his departure twice – in October, 2016, and September, 2018 – to help prepare for Brexit. The second time, the hunt for a successor had already started and Hammond had said explicitly he was open to another foreign governor.
A formal job advertisement is likely to appear before long, and one key criterion is to be able to effectively represent Britain in international forums like the IMF.
Rajan declined to comment when asked by Reuters whether he would consider a return to active policy-making. Last year, he said he would not apply for the role, but was slightly more equivocal about what he would do if approached directly, as Carney was.
With Britain in the throes of Brexit, an EU national could be a tough sell as the face of the central bank – though the BoE has plenty of staff from continental Europe.