The next manager of Leicester City – the dream candidates, good and romantic

When Leicester City secured the Championship title in euphoric scenes at Preston North End a few weeks ago, a managerial search was probably the last thing on their minds.

Yes, Enzo Maresca had his grumblings about recruitment and concerns about what might be in store for the club in the summer transfer window, but he didn’t seem to be hinting at a parting of ways.

Yet that’s exactly what happened on Monday when the Italian, seduced by the bright lights of London and seemingly undeterred by Chelsea’s own concerns over the Profitability and Sustainability Rules, was announced as the new man in the division’s hottest seat.

This has left the Foxes not only to do their PSR sums, but to look for a new candidate to shape a squad capable of remaining in the Premier League despite whatever constraints, internal or external, are thrown at them in the coming months.

We at LeicestershireLive have looked at the list of candidates, real or imagined, and rated them one by one.

READ MORE: The 10 Leicester City prodigies who could save the King Power millions

READ MORE: Leicester City ‘talking to Carlos Corberan’ as manager hunt intensifies

The dream candidate – Graham Potter

Football’s instinctive sense of irony could see City replace their departed manager with a man who last worked at…Chelsea.

The 49-year-old has been biding his time since being dumped by Todd Boehly in April 2023. There have been plenty of vacancies, he’s been linked with several but none have tempted the former Brighton boss back into the dugout.

It is reported that Potter is waiting for one of the big jobs to become available, such as England or Manchester United, which could make a move to the King Power highly unlikely.

However, the synergy seems clear. Potter can renew his reputation in the Premier League with a team that has momentum and is used to playing the kind of possession-based football he made a name for with the Seagulls and Swansea. His profile and track record would make it relatively simple to sell the transition – Maresca to Potter – as an upgrade rather than an inconvenience.

Good candidate – Carlos Corberan

Few City fans would dismiss the suggestion that Corberan’s West Brom gave their side as difficult a home game as any Championship side last season. Maresca’s side would not have won without Hamza Choudhury’s goal line heroics.

This was a look at one of the most organized teams in the division, one built through Corberan’s almost maniacal attention to detail, a trait he has demonstrated throughout his coaching career.

What Corberan lacks in profile, he more than makes up for in ability, both as a tactician and as a coach, as evidenced by the fact that he not only convinced Albion, without the striker, into the play- off this season, but almost crawled closer to Steve Bruce’s mob. reaching the top six in 2022/23 as well.

He also took Huddersfield to the play-off final in 2021/22 as well, where they were wrongly refereed and lost 1-0 to Nottingham Forest. He first came to attention in this country as part of Marcelo Bielsa’s backroom team at buccaneering Leeds United.

Romantic Candidate – Nigel Pearson

The man who led Leicester City to the great escape in 2014/15 and who many credit with laying the foundation for Claudio Ranieri’s title-winning side, Pearson had two spells in charge at the King Power. In his first, he led the Foxes to the Championship title in 2009 and returned to repeat the feat in 2014. Then came arguably his crowning glory, Christmas 2014 nadir as he guided the club to 14th place.

He has been out of action since leaving Bristol City last October – and just to sweeten the story further why not add Andy King and Esteban Cambiasso to his backroom staff.

Everything brings together the candidate – Oscar Garcia

The former Brighton boss is now at Leicester’s sister club OH Leuven, meaning he would be a cheap option amid PSR’s concerns.

The 51-year-old has been in regular talks with director of football Jon Rudkin for several months and has already said it would be his dream to manage in England again. He is something of a journeyman coach, having previously managed Watford, Maccabi Tel Aviv, RB Salzburg, Saint-Etienne, Olympiacos, Celta and Reims.

The Bet – Ruud Van Nistelrooy

The former Manchester United striker is at the start of his managerial career. And what a start it was.

In his season in charge, Van Nistelrooy’s PSV in the 2022/23 campaign finished second in the Eredivisie to new Liverpool manager Arne Slot and his Feyenoord side, but won the Dutch Cup, beating Ajax on penalties in the final. They also had the best offense in the league. The Dutchman recently expressed his desire to coach in Spain or the Premier League. His stock is high, but his experience tank is low. The King Power have never appointed a manager without at least some coaching experience in England, and that could rule out the former striker.

Favorite – Steve Cooper

Bookies have the former Nottingham Forest man as favorite to land the job. Cooper was successful through the age groups in England, impressed at Swansea and dragged a Forest side from the relegation places in the Championship to the play-offs and then the Premier League.

Not only that, with his club heading into a mind-boggling transfer window, he has found enough quality to shape a team that will stay in the top flight. This is the King Power short. It might not be a delicious date, but it sure would be.