Next Chelsea Manager Odds: Main Contenders To Replace Axed Liam Rosenior

Chelsea’s managerial merry-go-round is showing no sign of slowing down after Liam Rosenior was sacked just over three months into a reign which was supposed to last five and a half years.

The Blues’ hopes of playing Champions League football next season have suffered a massive setback following five successive Premier League defeats without scoring – the first time that has happened since 1912.

That was the year the Titanic sank and the parallels of that catastrophe have not been lost on observers and fans alike.

The BlueCo consortium, which swept through the doors at Stamford Bridge in 2022, is now looking for its sixth permanent manager, but for now Chelsea’s U21 coach Calum McFarlane has been placed in charge while the hierarchy undertakes “a process of self-reflection to make the right long-term appointment”.

Andoni Iraola will leave Bournemouth at the end of the season and is the early favourite on betting sites to fill the vacancy, followed by former Blues midfielder Cesc Fabregas, who is now making waves with Champions League hopefuls Como in Serie A.

Whoever is appointed will have a tough job on their hands getting the best out of players that produced what Rosenior described as an “unacceptable” performance in a 3-0 defeat at Brighton, his last game in charge.

Perhaps co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali will give the next manager more say on key decisions such as recruitment – and thus make the job less restrictive.

Perhaps they will abandon their policy of signing youngsters on lucrative long-term contracts and bring in more experienced players during the summer.

Win a five-day trip to Las Vegas for FREE! Four nights accommodation for two, plus flights and £2,000 spending money could be yours. Click on the banner below and enter your details for this fantastic prize.

That will be easier said than done as this month Chelsea announced a pre-tax loss for 2024/25 of £262million – the biggest in Premier League history. The purse strings may be drawn tighter. 

So, what’s in store for the next Chelsea manager? Will he manage to put an end to team news being leaked by barbers, huddles around the ball and a dizzying transfer policy, such as a seven-year contract for Alejandro Garnacho? Possibly. 

Here, we look at some of the main candidates and the latest next Chelsea manager odds.

Iraola A Top Manager, But Would He Want To Join Blues?

Bournemouth, a club that would not look out of place in League One, have defied expectations under Iraola, who is close to delivering European football in his final season with the club.

Had Leeds substitute Sean Longstaff not volleyed in a 97th-minute equaliser at the Vitality Stadium, the Cherries would have been just four points off fifth place, which is likely to be good enough for Champions League football.

Iraola has masterminded wins against Arsenal and Liverpool during a 14-game unbeaten run, despite losing three of his first-choice defence in the summer and Antoine Semenyo to Manchester City during the January transfer window.

Next Chelsea Manager Odds:

The man can do no wrong. However, it is thought he wants to return to the Basque Country with his family and there is a vacancy at his former club Athletic Bilbao, where he spent 12 seasons as a player.

He has also been linked with Manchester United, Newcastle, Crystal Palace and even Real Madrid.

The world is his oyster, but will he plunge into the choppy waters at Chelsea? He is 7/4 with one of the betting apps to do exactly that. 

Fabregas Impressing At Como

World Cup and two-time European Championship winner Fabregas won the Premier League twice with Chelsea as a player and delivered the Europa League in 2019, so he would have Blues fans onside from the get-go.

The Spaniard is now going down a storm with Como, despite their hopes of finishing fourth in Serie A being hit by back-to-back defeats in recent weeks.

They remain in the driving seat for a European spot, though, which will surely have impressed Chelsea’s owners.

The rise of Como is hardly a rags-to-riches story. The club have the wealthiest owners in Serie A by some margin, but we have all seen where indiscriminate spending can get you.

Fabregas also has a major say on recruitment policy at Como, so the question is whether he would be prepared to take a back seat in this area or push for more influence as part of a deal should he be offered the job.

As things stand, the former Arsenal player is 11/2 with William Hill to return to Stamford Bridge.

Silva Lining For Blues?

Marco Silva is currently the third longest serving manager in the Premier League, but there is speculation that his five years at Fulham could soon be drawing to a close.

The Portuguese is out of contract at the end of the season and the fact no announcement has been made about his future suggests he is waiting for a bigger job.

Obviously, the Chelsea vacancy falls into that category, so could he end up making the short journey to Stamford Bridge for the start of next season?

Silva, unlike Rosenior, has plenty of Premier League experience, leading the Cottagers to mid-table finishes in each of his three seasons in the top flight since he won the Championship title in 2021/22 - and a fourth is almost certain.

The former Hull, Watford and Everton boss is 6/1 third favourite for the Chelsea job.

* Our free to play Cosmo Spins game has blasted off and the Prize Wheel prizes include 5k in Cash! Click the banner below to play. Terms and conditions and location restrictions apply.

Third Spell For Lampard?

Chelsea legend Frank Lampard has just steered Coventry into the Premier League, but is now 10/1 to return as Blues manager for a third occasion.

Lampard took charge of first-team matters twice at the Bridge, first on a permanent basis during the Roman Abramovich era and then as a caretaker under the current regime following the dismissal of Graham Potter. 

The first spell, which lasted 18 months, went reasonably well, but the second was a disaster (W1 D2 L8), but he has been linked with another return.

Coventry chairman Doug King is expecting a “staggering bid” for Lampard in the summer, but thinks the former England international is “happy” at the club.

Glasner And Simeone In The Picture

Elsewhere, Oliver Glasner is leaving Crystal Palace in the next few weeks and is 10/1 with Betfred to move from south to west London.

The Austrian won the Europa League with Eintracht Frankfurt five years ago and of course the FA Cup with the Eagles last season, the club’s first major trophy.

Former Borussia Dortmund head coach Edin Terzic is also 10/1.

Diego Simeone has been at Atletico for 14 years but with new majority shareholders at the club, they may want a change at the top.

Build your daily yard of horses in our new 'Stables Stars' fantasy game below to be in with a chance of winning £100, £50 or £25.

Play Stable Stars Here

The 55-year-old Argentinian has lost none of his passion for the game which has delivered two Liga titles and two Europa League successes during his time at the club.

Simeone is 12/1 for the Blues post, just ahead of Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann (14/1), whose future will be decided after the World Cup.

Jose Mourinho, Chelsea’s greatest ever manager, is head coach at Benfica, but is priced at 16/1 for a third spell at Stamford Bridge.

Meanwhile, Eddie Howe is under pressure at Newcastle and is 18/1 to start a fresh challenge at Chelsea.

Chelsea fans, who do you want to succeed Rosenior as manager? Let us know in the comments box below or vote in our poll above