Leeds United next manager odds: huge favourite emerges as Whites close in on new head coach

Leeds joined Southampton and Leicester City in suffering relegation at the end of the 2022/23 Premier League season and lost their third manager of the year at the same time. Sam Allardyce joined the Whites in a bid to keep the club up, but their season came to a brutal close but when their Championship place was confirmed and the former England boss departed.

Since then, there has been plenty of speculation as to who will come in and become the fourth manager the players have seen this year. However, while the rumour mill swirls around, talkSPORT’s Jason Bourne has revealed that the naming of the next Leeds boss is unlikely to be imminent: “Sources close to Leeds suggest they’re not close to an appointment of a head coach yet.”

Bourne does, however, point out that a certain former Premier League boss “is being heavily linked with the role today.”

Leeds begin their Championship campaign with a home fixture against Cardiff City on Sunday 6 August before their first EFL Cup fixture on 8 August against Shrewsbury.

As the Yorkshire club prepare for their return to the Championship, here is all you need to know about who is set to lead them on their way...

Who is the bookies’ favourite?

The firm current favourite to take the role is the former Norwich City boss Daniel Farke. According to both The Daily Mail and Sky Germany, the former Borussia Monchengladbach manager will soon be arriving at Elland Road with Sky Germany tweeting recently that once the “last details have been confirmed”, Farke “will sign his contract” with Leeds in the “coming days”.

The Mail reported a similar announcement, claiming that Leeds are “on the verge” of appointing the former Norwich man and will hope to have him in place by the time pre-season officially begins on Monday. They have also suggested that Farke has visited the club’s Thorp Arch training ground.

Who is Daniel Farke?

Farke last managed in his home country of Germany with Monchengladbach but was sacked after just one season and he recorded 12 wins, 10 draws and 14 losses. The 46-year-old is, however, best known for his time with Norwich City. Farke was at Carrow Road from 2017-2021 during which time they were promoted as Championship title winners.

They were instantly relegated only to then bounce back up to the Championship again at the end of the 2020/21 season. Farke lost his 15th consecutive Premier League match in September 2021, a record for a club or manager in English top-flight history and he was eventually sacked the day his team recorded their first league win of the season.

Farke has won two EFL Championship Manager of the Month awards and in 2021, he won the LMA Championship Manager of the Year.

Who else is on the cards?

According to PaddyPower, here are the top candidates likely to take on the vacant role at Elland Road:

• Daniel Farke: 1/10
• Patrick Vieira: 7/2
• Graham Potter: 9/1
• Scott Parker: 14/1
• Xabi Alonso: 25/1
• Diego Flores: 33/1
• Carlos Corberan: 33/1
• Steven Gerrard: 33/1
• Gary O’Neil: 33/1
• Raul Gonzalez: 25/1