The current Dalian Pro boss has had his odds of being the next Derby manager cut from 33/1 in the past week.
- Derby County are on the hunt for their next permanent manager after sacking Phillip Cocu last week.
- Wayne Rooney had been cut to heavily odds-on for the job having been appointed caretaker manager.
- Rafa Benitez has now leapfrogged Rooney as the favourite to become the permanent manager.
Next Derby County manager odds: Rafael Benitez cut to clear favourite
Dalian Pro manager Rafael Benitez has been cut to as short as 6/4 favourite to be the next permanent Derby County manager. The Spaniard was priced as far out as 33/1 when the market opened last week.
In the last 24 hours, 61% of bets on our market have gone on the 60-year-old, with 16% on caretaker boss Wayne Rooney.
Phillip Cocu was sacked last week with the club sat bottom of the Championship table, and since then a host of names have been linked with the task of turning the club’s fortunes around.
Wayne Rooney's odds have drifted since last week
Rooney had been cut to as short as 2/5 for the job initially, but his price has steadily lengthened over the past week to 4/1. The 35-year-old player-coach is part of the team that has taken temporary charge of the side, but speculation that he was in line for the permanent job has cooled somewhat.
Various reports have noted that Sheikh Khaled, who failed to buy Newcastle United, has now had his Derby County takeover bid accepted by the EFL.
Benitez had been in charge at Newcastle United when Sheikh Khaled’s intentions became apparent last year, around the time there was uncertainty over his future at the club. Punters have now joined the dots and believe Benitez could get his chance under the new ownership at Derby.
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Elsewhere in the market, Swansea City head coach Steve Cooper is a 6/1 shot and John Terry is priced at 7/1.
Oddschecker spokesperson Callum Wilson: “With Derby County on the verge of a lucrative takeover, it’s all guesswork as to what kind of manager they’ll go after, but you’d expect them to show ambition.
“While Wayne Rooney was incredibly short in the market on the day of Cocu’s sacking, many punters have now turned their attention to a manager with a more comprehensive CV.”
Next Derby County manager odds:
- Rafa Benitez 7/4
- Wayne Rooney 4/1
- Steve Cooper 6/1
- John Terry 7/1
- Sam Allardyce 8/1
- Eddie Howe 12/1
- Danny Cowley 12/1
