Sacked Chelsea manager Graham Potter emerges as shock frontrunner for Premier League vacancy as ex-Liverpool and Leeds men named contenders

Graham Potter has emerged as the favourite to become the next Leicester City boss, less than 24 hours after he was sacked by Chelsea.

The former Brighton and Hove Albion boss was the second top flight manager to lose his job on Sunday, after Leicester City parted ways with Brendan Rodgers earlier in the day.

Bruno Saltor will take charge at Chelsea as interim head coach until the Blues find a permanent replacement - and their third manager of the campaign.

Co-controlling owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali said: “On behalf of everyone at the club, we want to thank Graham sincerely for his contribution to Chelsea. We have the highest degree of respect for Graham as a coach and as a person. He has always conducted himself with professionalism and integrity and we are all disappointed in this outcome.

“Along with our incredible fans, we will all be getting behind Bruno and the team as we focus on the rest of the season. We have 10 Premier League games remaining and a Champions League quarter final ahead. We will put every effort and commitment into every one of those games so that we can end the season on a high.”

However, Potter could walk straight into another job if the latest odds are to be believed, with the sacked Chelsea boss the favourite to become the next Leicester manager.

Former Premier League managers Rafael Benitez, Jesse Marsch, Ralph Hasenhuttl have all been named as contenders but Potter is leading the betting.

Despite his tough spell with Chelsea, Potter enjoyed plenty of success with Brighton and will still be a sought-after manager.

Announcing their decision to part ways with Rodgers, Leicester City chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha said: “The achievements of the team under Brendan’s management speak for themselves – we’ve experienced some of our finest footballing moments under his guidance and will always be grateful to him and his staff for the heights they helped us to reach on the pitch.

“Off the pitch, Brendan embraced the culture of the Club and helped cultivate an outstanding developmental environment, particularly during the transition to Seagrave, and provided strong leadership during the unprecedented challenge of the coronavirus pandemic. His place in Leicester City history is assured.

“However, performances and results during the current season have been below our shared expectations. It had been our belief that continuity and stability would be key to correcting our course, particularly given our previous achievements under Brendan’s management. Regrettably, the desired improvement has not been forthcoming and, with 10 games of the season remaining, the Board is compelled to take alternative action to protect our Premier League status.

“The task ahead of us in our final 10 games is clear. We now need to come together – fans, players and staff – and show the poise, quality and fight to secure our position as a Premier League club.”

Next Leicester City manager odds

Graham Potter - 1/1

Rafa Benitez - 5/1

Ange Postecoglou - 12/1

Nigel Pearson - 12/1

Ralph Hassenhutl - 12/1

Steven Gerrard - 12/1

Jon Dahl Thomason - 16/1

Jesse Marsch - 18/1

Mauricio Pochettino - 18/1

Michael Carrick - 18/1

Mike Stowell - 18/1

Patrick Vieira - 18/1