Leicester City are seeking for a new manager as they prepare for their return to the Premier League – several names have been linked here are the key runners and riders. When Leicester City won the Championship title in exhilarating fashion against Preston North End a few weeks ago, a manager hunt was probably the last thing on their mind. Yes, Enzo Maresca had his complaints about recruitment and his anxieties about what the club would face in the summer transfer window, but there appeared to be little evidence of a rift.
Yet that’s exactly what happened on Monday, when the Italian, tempted by the bright lights of London and obviously unconcerned with Chelsea’s own Profitability & Sustainability Rules worries, was introduced as the new man in the division’s sexiest managerial position. That left the Foxes not only conducting their PSR calculations, but also looking for a new candidate to build a team capable of remaining in the Premier League despite whatever internal or external constraints are imposed on them in the coming months.
We at LeicestershireLive reviewed the list of candidates, genuine or fictional, and evaluated them in turn. Graham Potter, a former Chelsea manager, could be City’s ideal replacement. Since Todd Boehly dumped him in April 2023, the 49-year-old has been biding his time. Many vacancies have arisen, and he has been linked with several, but none have lured the former Brighton manager back into the dugout.
According to reports, Potter is waiting for one of the big jobs to open up, such as England or Manchester United, making a transfer to the King Power doubtful. However, the synergy appears to be evident. Potter can rebuild his reputation in the Premier League with a side that has momentum and is accustomed to playing the possession-based style that he established with the Seagulls and Swansea. His profile and track record would make it reasonably simple to portray the shift from Maresca to Potter as an upgrade rather than an inconvenience.
Carlos Corberan is a sneaky decent candidate. Few City fans would argue that Corberan’s West Brom played as difficult a home game as any Championship team last season. Hamza Choudhury’s goal-line heroics were crucial to Maresca’s team’s victory. That was a glimpse into one of the division’s most organised teams, founded on Corberan’s almost fanatical attention to detail, which he has demonstrated throughout his coaching career.
What Corberan lacks in profile, he more than makes up for in competence, both as a strategist and as a man-manager, as evidenced by the fact that he not only coaxed striker-less Albion into the play-offs this season, but also nearly brought Steve Bruce’s team into the top six in 2022/23. He also led Huddersfield to the play-off final in 2021/22, where they were defeated 1-0 by Nottingham Forest due to controversial refereeing decisions. He originally gained recognition in this nation as a member of Marcelo Bielsa’s backroom staff at Leeds United.
Romantic candidate – Nigel Pearson Pearson has two spells in charge of Leicester City, where he led the club to a tremendous escape in 2014/15 and is credited with laying the groundwork for Claudio Ranieri’s title-winning team. In his first season, he led the Foxes to the Championship title in 2009, which he repeated in 2014. Then came possibly his biggest achievement: after finishing last at Christmas 2014, he led the club to 14th place. He has been out of the game since leaving Bristol City in October, and to sweeten the deal, why not add Andy King and Esteban Cambiasso to his back-room staff?
Romantic candidate – Nigel Pearson Pearson has two spells in charge of Leicester City, where he led the club to a tremendous escape in 2014/15 and is credited with laying the groundwork for Claudio Ranieri’s title-winning team. In his first season, he led the Foxes to the Championship title in 2009, which he repeated in 2014. Then came possibly his biggest achievement: after finishing last at Christmas 2014, he led the club to 14th place. He has been out of the game since leaving Bristol City in October, and to sweeten the deal, why not add Andy King and Esteban Cambiasso to his back-room staff?
In his first season in command, Van Nistelrooy’s PSV finished second in the Eredivisie to new Liverpool manager Arne Slot and his Feyenoord side, but they did win the Dutch Cup, defeating Ajax on penalties in the final. They also had the greatest offense in the league. The Dutchman has indicated a desire to manage in Spain or the Premier League. His stock is large, but his reservoir of experience is small. King Power has never hired a manager without at least some coaching experience in England, which could rule out the former striker.
The favorite – Steve Cooper The former Nottingham Forest man is the odds-on favourite to gain the job, according to the bookmakers. Cooper achieved success in England’s youth ranks, impressed at Swansea, and led a Forest club from the Championship relegation zone to the play-offs and eventually the Premier League. Not only that, but with his club going through an incredible transfer window, he discovered enough talent to build a team that would remain in the top flight. That’s basically the brief at the King Power. It may not be a delectable appointment, but it would be safe.
