Elton John at the judges' table?

There's plenty of talk swirling about who is going to replace Ellen DeGeneres and Simon Cowell as judges on "American Idol." But if "AI" producer Nigel Lythgoe has his way, Elton John would be sitting behind a red Coca-Cola cup, according to the New York Times.

Lythgoe reportedly told the media while walking the red carpet at the Emmys on Sunday (8/29) that he's "still very supportive of Elton John. [But] I don't believe negotiations have gone well."

When a Los Angeles Times scribe asked if anyone was secured for the judge's position, he -- tentatively, according to reports -- said, "Randy Jackson."

No Jennifer Lopez or Steven Tyler of Aerosmith just yet, said Lythgoe, who rejoined "Idol" in July after a two-year break. He said he's unsure who's going to join Jackson.

"We're going to wait and see who says yes, because at the end of the day it's going to be the chemistry between the judges that counts," Lythgoe said. "So while we're in this state of seeing whether people are available -- and that's the difficulty, you're asking them to open up four months of their calendar."