Seven potential Leicester City managers and how they fit into the club’s plans

Enzo Maresca officially left Leicester City just over a week ago, but it was a deal that was in the works seven days before. In short, City have had plenty of time to get their ducks in a row and establish who they believe are the candidates to be the club’s next manager.

Lots of names were put forward and the bookies’ favorite changed regularly. But who is actually a competitor that is just a convenient name to throw into the mix?

Here, we find the most prominent names in City’s search for a new boss, consider whether they would fit what the club want and how likely they are to be in the King Power Stadium dugout come August. You can tell us your preference in the comments section at the bottom of the page.

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Graham Potter

Potter has been a favorite behind the scenes at City for some time, dating back to when the club thought they were in danger of losing Brendan Rodgers. He rejected City’s approach soon after being sacked by Chelsea, but after a year out of the game he may want to return and his reputation at the King Power Stadium has not diminished.

The style of play he brought to Brighton has enhanced his reputation and would fit very well with the way City have played under Maresca and the vision he subscribes to at the club. It seems like the perfect option, but it looks like it could stand up to a better job.

David Moyes

Out of work after being replaced at West Ham this summer, there are few managers around who have the kind of experience that Moyes has. He proved to keep teams out of trouble and was very successful in East London, winning the Europa Conference League.

He certainly knows how to make teams effective and get the most out of players. But it might be a little old for the direction the city wants to take. There is still no buzz surrounding talks with Moyes.

Steve Cooper

Given his association with Nottingham Forest, it may be a tough sell with fans if Cooper comes to the King Power Stadium. But he has been a success wherever he has been and is a developer of young talent given his time in England’s youth set-up.

The connection he has built with the Forest fans has helped create an atmosphere at the City Ground that has lifted their form at home and there should be no reason why he can’t do the same at Leicester. In the Championship he showed himself to be an attacking manager and while this has changed upon promotion, perhaps working at a club with a more stable squad rather than the revolving door at Forest could allow him to to revert to his old ways.

Carlos Corberan

Very few teams have caused City the problems Corberan’s West Brom did at the King Power Stadium last month, with Maresca admitting his side were lucky to win. And that wasn’t just one time.

Corberan knows his stuff and has been successful for several years. At Huddersfield, had it not been for the decisions submitted in the play-off final against Nottingham Forest, they could have been promoted. At West Brom, he took them from a relegation battle to play-off competition last season and finished fifth this term.

Like Maresca, he is a pupil of Guardiola, which would help at City, but his time under Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds gives his teams a frantic edge. He is certainly a name on City’s shortlist, but the big issue here is that they would have to pay around £4million in compensation to get him out of the Hawthorns. This is not ideal when dealing with concerns about Profit and Sustainability Norms.

Oscar Garcia

Speaking in April, OH Leuven boss Garcia said: “I speak to the sporting director (Jon Rudkin) every week. He knows that my dream is to return to England one day.”

Maresca’s departure may open the door for that to happen. Although he has had plenty of short-lived spells in Europe, the Spaniard has always done quite well, and after taking over at Leuven in November, he moved them from relegation to 10th, their highest place. In England, he took Brighton to the Championship play-offs in an entire season. This would certainly be an easy move for City.

Ruud van Nistelrooy

A big name in football as one of the best goalscorers of his generation, Van Nistelrooy turned his hand to coaching with PSV Eindhoven, rising from reserve team boss to main man and finishing second in the Eredivisie and winning the Cup Holland. . But amid reports of incidents with players and assistant coaches, he left after just one season.

A year into the job, the former Manchester United forward is resuming his search for a new job. But while there have been links with City, it is understood he is not on their radar. Under the King Power, City never appointed a manager who had not at least coached in England.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

The newest name on the list is another former Manchester United striker who has been out of work for some time. In fact, Solskjaer has not had a job since leaving Old Trafford two and a half years ago.

In retrospect, his time at Manchester United wasn’t too bad, but perhaps it would worry City fans that he failed to keep Cardiff at bay when he was responsible for their Premier League relegation battle, even if it was a decade ago. Solskjaer may be better suited to managing big names than struggling at the bottom.

Let us know which of these options you think is the best fit for City in the comments section here