Next Rangers Manager Odds: Russell Martin Closing On Favourite Davide Ancelotti

Rangers start a new era expecting to appoint their new manager this week and the best betting sites reckon it remains a two-horse race between Davide Ancelotti and Russell Martin.

A US-based consortium, including the investment arm of the San Francisco 49ers, completed a multi-million pound takeover of the club last week and first on their to-do list will be to appoint a manager to try to turn the side's fortunes around on the pitch. 

Gers' new sporting director Kevin Thelwell revealed that the process of finding a permanent replacement for Philippe Clement is drawing to a close.

Barry Ferguson was placed in interim charge in February, but he left the club at the end of a disappointing season in which Rangers finished 17 points behind arch rivals Celtic.

Thelwell told the club's website: “That search has been progressing well, and the club and I look forward to bringing that to a conclusion in the coming days."

Whoever is named the next Rangers manager, they have a massive challenge on their hands to stop Celtic's dominance in Scotland.

Ancelotti Remains On Pole

Ancelotti has worked as an assistant to his father Carlo at Bayern Munich, Napoli, Everton and Real Madrid and is still the favourite for the Ibrox job, but Martin is now viewed as a serious rival.

He was a youth player at AC Milan before moving into coaching and learning the trade from one of the best in the game.

The 35-year-old apparently held fresh talks in London with Rangers about the vacancy and further discussions were planned.

According to Spanish football writer Guillem Balague, Ancelotti was the club's first choice but they face competition from Swiss champions FC Basel, whose head coach Fabio Celestini is likely to be looking for another role.

That said, Ancelotti is 4/7 on football betting sites to get the Rangers job.

Next Rangers Manager Odds

Former Saints Boss The Man For Gers?

Martin was 3/1 last week to be appointed Rangers manager, but those odds have been cut sharply to 5/4 on betting apps. 

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano claims that the former Southampton boss has "accepted the project" and is "ready for a new chapter" in Glasgow.

Martin was sacked by Saints in December after a dreadful first half of the season, but he is ready to return to management now that he has had a break.

The defender spent the second half of the 2017/18 season on loan at Ibrox from Norwich, so he has links with Rangers, who view him as the man to take the club forward.

Martin was one of the favourites for the Leicester City job, but talks with the club's owners seem to have come to nothing, paving the way for a return to Rangers. 

Rose Third Favourite

No longer in place at RB Leipzig after he was dismissed in March, Marco Rose is looking for his next role.

The strong relationship between the San Francisco 49ers' investment group and Red Bull, with whom Rose worked at Salzburg and Leipzig, is seen by many as a major factor in Rose being linked with the job. 

The German was the frontrunner for the job at one stage, but drifted to 18/1, although he is now 8/1 third favourite with Ladbrokes.

Farioli On The Drift

Rangers reportedly held talks with former Ajax boss Francesco Farioli, but he now seems to be out of the running.

He signed a three-year deal with the Dutch club in May 2024 and initially looked well on course to win the Eredivisie before a dramatic late collapse led to his exit earlier this month, citing differences with the board.

Farioli previously spoke to Rangers around the time Michael Beale was appointed in November 2022, and was also linked with the Celtic job when they appointed Brendan Rodgers for a second spell.

The former Alanyaspor and Nice manager was 3/1 to return to management at Ibrox, but his odds have since drifted to 16/1.

Gerrard Return Looks Unlikely

Celtic were looking to become the first Scottish side to win 10 successive league titles when Steven Gerrard led the Light Blues to the title in 2021. 

Not surprisingly, the former Liverpool midfielder, who is a free agent after his spell at Al-Ettifaq ended in January, is a legend with many Rangers fans for that achievement.

However, Sky News reported that although Gers' former boss held talks over a return to the club, three-and-a-half years after leaving Glasgow, it soon became clear the timing was not right for all parties.

As a result, Gerrard is 20/1 to be the next Rangers manager.

Outsiders For Rangers Role

Elsewhere, ex-Feyenoord manager Brian Priske is now 20/1 with Coral to be in charge of Rangers next season.

The Dane was sacked by the Dutch club in February after less than a year in charge, despite some impressive results in the Champions League.

Former Burnley and Everton boss Sean Dyche can be backed at 25/1, the same odds as Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Rohl.