Next Leicester City manager: who is favourite to succeed Brendan Rodgers?

Leicester City have parted ways with Brendan Rodgers after four years and they are now searching for a new manager to keep their Premier League hopes alive. Rodgers enjoyed a successful tenure in the hotseat at the King Power Stadium - leading the Foxes to back to back 5th place finishes in both of his first two seasons in charge, whilst also becoming the first ever Leicester manager to lift the FA Cup in 2021.

However, the Foxes have struggled to hit those same standards this season and a fifth defeat in six matches has left Leicester 19th in the Premier League table and facing a potential relegation to the Championship for the first time in nine years. Chairman Aiywatt Srivaddhanaprabha paid tribute to the work Rodgers had done with Leicester but claimed that the board was “compelled to take alternative action” to protect their Premier League status.

Leicester are now the eighth team in the bottom half of the table to have changed managers at least once this season and the pressure to survive in the Premier League is heating up as we approach the final furlong of the season. But who is the favourite to succeed Brendan Rodgers as Leicester City manager? Here is everything you need to know.

Leicester City next manager odds

Graham Potter - 1/1

Graham Potter became the 12th Premier League manager to lose his job just hours after the sacking of Brendan Rodgers at Leicester. Potter lasted just seven months at Chelsea and struggled to make the desired impact at Stamford Bridge after succeeding Thomas Tuchel in September.

The 47-year-old has instantly found himself as the odds-on favourite to take on the Leicester job and manage a third different Premier League team this campaign. Potter began his career as a manager in Sweden and caught the attention of English clubs after guiding Ostersund from the fourth tier to the top-flight whilst also winning the Swedish Cup in the process.

Potter is renowned for playing a possession based passing style of play and he enjoyed successful spells at Swansea City and Brighton before taking on the job at Chelsea.

Rafa Benitez - 5/1

Serial winner Rafa Benitez has been linked with a return to management with Leicester City. The former Liverpool, Real Madrid and Newcastle manager has been out of football since January 2022 when he was sacked as manager of Everton.

Benitez has enjoyed a long and successful career in football which has seen him lift the La Liga title and UEFA Cup with Valencia, the FA Cup, League Cup and Champions League with Liverpool and a Europa League with Chelsea. The Spanish manager is known for his organisational skills and his strong defensive football. He has previously been involved with relegation battles with Newcastle and helped the club establish themselves in the top-flight after their promotion in 2017.

Ange Postecoglou - 12/1

Leicester City recruited Brendan Rodgers from Celtic in 2019 and are now linked with another Celtic manager in the form of Ange Postecoglou. Postecoglou has previously managed the Australia national team, Melbourne Victory and Yokohama F. Marinos.

He is currently enjoying a successful spell with reigning Scottish champions Celtic and he has won three trophies in his first 18 months in Glasgow - lifting the SPL title and back to back Scottish League Cups.

Celtic are currently top of the Scottish Premiership with 28 victories from 30 games and they are on course to win yet another league title.

Nigel Pearson - 12/1

Nigel Pearson famously led Leicester City to promotion in 2014 and he has now been linked with a third spell at the club. Pearson enjoyed a two year stint at Leicester City from 2008 to 2010 and he guided the club from League One to the Championship in his first full season at the club.

The 59-year-old is best remembered for his second stint at Leicester which ran from 2011 to 2015 and he guided the club back to the Premier League for the first time since 2004 by winning the Championship title in 2013/14. Pearson initially struggled in the Premier League with the Foxes in their season up but he steered the club to a 14th finish and a great escape after a huge upturn in fortunes.

Pearson was dismissed shortly before Leicester’s title winning season in 2015/16 and he has since managed the likes of Derby County and Watford. The former Leicester boss is currently in charge of Bristol City who are 14th in the Championship.

Steven Gerrard - 12/1

Steven Gerrard is also a contender to take on the Leicester City job, according to the bookmakers. The former Liverpool and England captain has been out of management since October last year when he was sacked by Aston Villa.

Gerrard’s career highlight as a manager came in 2021 when he guided Rangers to their first SPL title in 10 years, whilst also finishing the entire season unbeaten - becoming only the fourth manager in SPL history to achieve the feat.

Who else is on the list?

Former Leeds United manager Jesse Marsch has been linked with the vacant role at Leicester City along with former Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhüttl. Both managers have been out of football since their departures earlier in the season.

Championship managers such as Michael Carrick of Middlesbrough and Jon Dahl Tomasson of Blackburn have also been linked with the vacant role. Here is a list of all the main contenders for the Leicester job, according to the bookmakers at Sky Bet. (Odds correct as of Monday 3 April)

• Graham Potter - 1/1

• Rafa Benitez - 5/1

• Ange Postecoglou - 12/1

• Nigel Pearson - 12/1

• Ralph Hasenhüttl - 12/1

• Steven Gerrard - 12/1

• Jon Dahl Tomasson - 16/1

• Jesse Marsch - 18/1

• Mauricio Pochettino - 18/1

• Michael Carrick - 18/1