With doubts surrounding Pep Guardiola’s future beyond this season, the next Man City manager odds are likely to see plenty of movement over the coming months.
Roberto De Zerbi, Xabi Alonso, Ruben Amorim and Vincent Kompany are among the names in the frame, but Girona boss Michel has also emerged as a strong candidate with his odds down to 4/1 with some bookmakers.
He’s still on offer at a best-priced 9/1, but that shift suggests we may see a surge of interest in Michel over the coming days.
Having stunned La Liga by taking Girona into the Champions League, Michel’s reputation is growing. So much so that he might even end up somewhere else, possibly replacing one of the current frontrunners in the ‘next manager sacked' odds list.
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Why Michel’s connection to City is significant
While Guardiola is obviously nowhere near getting his marching orders, there is still confidence that he can contend for the England hotseat. If Guardiola does become the new permanent England manager, Michel has an advantage over his main rivals, as he is already at a club within the City Football Group. That would make his potential appointment as City boss a relatively simple process.
Like Guardiola, he operates a positive version of possession-based football that would likely resonate well with the array of midfield maestros he could field, such as compatriot Rodri.
Comfortable working under a sporting director at Girona, Michel is also unlikely to make any major demands in terms of recruitment either.
Girona’s last two results may also have contributed to this shortening of his price in the next Man City manager odds list.
Despite having a squad massively depleted by key summer departures, wins over Osasuna (4-0) and Sevilla (2-0) have eased the fears that Girona might collapse into the pack this season, along with Michel's chances of getting the City job.
De Zerbi is still the favourite
Michel is indeed a tempting pick, but of all the managers on the list who boast previous Premier League experience, Roberto De Zerbi is perhaps the most natural fit for Man City with his attack-minded, possession-based football.
Even in a slightly disappointing 2023/24 season for the Seagulls, De Zerbi’s side averaged 60.2% possession with a passing accuracy of 89.0%. Only three teams had a higher share of the ball, while only City could better Brighton’s passing accuracy.
While De Zerbi’s style is not a mirror image of Guardiola’s, there are obvious parallels, and they help to explain why he’s as short as 3/1 in the next Man City manager odds market.
The Italian is now in charge of Marseille in Ligue 1 where he has started well. However, it still feels like De Zerbi is destined to take one of the very biggest jobs in Europe in the coming years.
A move to Manchester would inevitably lead to speculation that the likes of Simon Adingra and Kaoru Mitoma could reunite with their former manager. Both could flourish in a stronger team, but the competition would be fierce, with City already boasting some very talented wide and attacking midfield options.
Next Man City manager odds – other contenders analysed
Given his status as a club legend, there’ll be a lot of intrigue in Manchester when it comes to Vincent Kompany and how he gets on in Munich. His popularity with the fanbase would certainly help smooth what’s likely to be a tricky transition whoever replaces Pep.
Kompany is a best priced 10/1 to be the next boss at the Etihad, but he has recently signed a three-year deal in Bavaria. That may well be a major stumbling block, should Pep depart next summer.
Best-priced at 9/1, Xabi Alonso is another of the leading contenders. While he has been seen as a future Liverpool manager given his connection with the club, the timing may end up working better for Alonso to take over at the Etihad, should he decide to leave Bayer Leverkusen.
If the City hierarchy simply decide that only the best will do, they could decide to go all-in for Alonso, who is widely regarded as Europe’s brightest young manager after a stunning season in Germany last term.
This job has Neil Lennons name all over it 👍