Former Bristol City manager Steve Cotterill and ex-Robins Under-23 coach Luke Williams are among the early favourites to succeed Russell Martin as Swansea City manager, with the 37-year-old set to be appointed at Southampton.
Relegated Saints confirmed the departure of caretaker Ruben Selles on Wednesday and Martin is widely reported to have agreed a three-year contract to take over at St Mary’s as they prepare for life in the Championship next season.
Martin’s departure would leave both south Wales sides without a manager after Cardiff City’s decision to not extend Sabri Lamouchi’s contract earlier this month, and many of the candidates mentioned so far by bookmakers cut across both clubs.
Plymouth Argyle’s promotion-winning manager Steven Schumacher is unsurprisingly the shortest priced with BetVictor to take over at the Swansea.com Stadium. The Scouser secured the League One title with the Pilgrims playing a brand of football that would be appealing for the Swans and did so despite possessing a considerably smaller budget than their direct rivals Ipswich Town and Sheffield Wednesday.
Schumacher’s stock will remain high throughout the summer and he is likely to be linked with any Championship job that would become available but below the 39-year-old and Brendan Rodgers’ former assistant Chris Davies lie two names familiar to City fans in the form of Cotterill and Williams.
Cotterill overachieved with Shrewsbury Town last season, leading them to 12th in the table and threatening a play-off run at one stage despite working with one of the smallest budgets in the division. City’s double-winning manager of 2014/15 has been at New Meadow for the last three seasons and should interest be forthcoming, may feel he has hit a glass ceiling in terms of how far he can take the Shrews.
Williams, meanwhile, is preparing to manage in the EFL again having led Notts County to promotion out of the National League via the play-offs. The Magpies amassed 107 points across the course of the season, running Wrexham all the way, and the 42-year-old is emerging as one of the most coveted young head coaches in England.
Williams served as City Under-23 coach between 2017 and 2019 before departing to join Martin’s backroom staff at MK Dons, then following the 37-year-old to south Wales in 2020 as assistant head coach when he was appointed at Swansea.
Next Swansea City manager
- Steven Schumacher - 3/1
- Chris Davies - 4/1
- Steve Cotterill - 4/1
- Oscar Garcia - 6/1
- Ian Evatt - 10/1
- Ryan Mason - 10/1
- Nathan Jones - 12/1
- Luke Williams - 14/1
- Kevin Muscat - 16/1
- Enzo Maresca - 16/1
- Gary Bowyer - 16/1
- Wayne Rooney - 16/1
- Danny Cowley - 16/1
- Kevin Phillips - 16/1
odds correct at the time of publication
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