Chelsea next manager odds: Bookies reveal main contenders as Pochettino leaves with De Zerbi and Tuchel among favourites

CHELSEA are back in the market for another new manager following the departure of Mauricio Pochettino tonight.

It’s a familiar situation for owner Todd Boehly, having only appointed Poch 11 months ago with Graham Potter and Frank Lampard failing to impress in the dugout.

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Despite the familiarity, it’s somewhat of a surprise to see Pochettino leave, given the flourishing finish to the campaign which saw them secure a Europa League spot and sixth place finish.

That saw Poch’s Chelsea record end at 26 wins, 11 draws and 14 defeats in his 51 matches at the helm.

However, the timing maybe isn’t that surprising if analysing the bookmaker odds, with former Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi (9/4) the early frontrunner to replace the Argentine.

Betfair have revealed he has been the focus of the early money since the Pochettino announcement a short time ago.

De Zerbi revealed over the weekend that the Manchester United game would be his final one in charge as he seeks a new opportunity.

He’d revealed that no job offers had arrived though reports suggest that talks have been held with a club as he eyes a return ahead of the new season.

Early indications suggest Sebastian Hoeness (6/1) is a main contender for the role after a stellar season at Stuttgart, guiding them to a second place finish in the Bundesliga behind unbeaten Leverkusen.

The 42-year-old guided Stuttgart to 23 wins in the 34 match season and has three years remaining on his current deal.

It is understood those odds could well shorten in the near future, particularly after they edged out Thomas Tuchel (7/1) and Bayern to runners up.

Former Blues boss Tuchel is on the move this summer having failed to agree terms to remain at Bayern to continue and it’s believed the Premier League is amongst his top destinations.

He overseen 35 Premier League wins in 63 games in his first spell in charge, guiding the club from ninth to fourth when he first took over before also landing a sensational Champions League win.

Many of the club’s supporters weren’t happy he wasn’t kept around and a sense of ‘unfinished business’ could well tempt the German back.

Enzo Maresca and fellow promotion-winning boss Kieran McKenna are 9/1 with Betfair, with the latter in particular believed to be a name on the early shortlist.

McKenna has guided Ipswich to back-to-back promotions but it’s his style of play which has been even more eye-catching.

Hansi Flick and Michel Sanchez are 10/1, while the return of the Special One, Jose Mourinho is 14/1 – the same price as Barcelona boss Xavi.

Betfair Spokesperson, Sam Rosbottom said: “Following reports of Mauricio Pochettino’s departure from Stamford Bridge, punters have been backing former Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi to take over, and he has been backed into 9/4 from 10/3 in the past hour.

“We all know how well things went for the last former Brighton manager that moved into the Chelsea dugout, and while De Zerbi is the favourite, punters have also been quick to back other candidates.

“Money has come in for Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna and Leicester manager Enzo Maresca, who are both now 9/1 having started the day at much bigger odds.”

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