Bournemouth next manager odds: Bookies reveal favourite and full list of candidates after shock O'Neil departure

BOURNEMOUTH are searching for a new manager having unexpectedly sacked Gary O'Neil.

And bookmakers Sky Bet have former Brighton and Chelsea boss Graham Potter as the clear 7/4 favourite ahead of Andoni Iraola, Jesse Marsch and Steven Gerrard.

Potter, 48, is a free agent having been relieved of his duties at Stamford Bridge in April.

The Englishman built his reputation at Brighton and is still highly regarded despite lasting a matter of months at Chelsea.

Potter has been linked to several top positions this summer including those of Crystal Palace, Tottenham, Celtic and Ligue 1 outfit Nice.

Andoni Iraola is next at 11/4 having been heavily linked with the Leeds role. The 40-year-old secured promotion with Rayo Vallecano before securing an 11th-placed finish on a limited budget.

Marsch is third in the 'Next Manager' market at 6/1, and may have his sights set on a top-flight return having ruled himself out of the running to become the US men's national team manager.

Steven Gerrard is next at 12/1, although reports suggest he's heading to Saudi Arabia to manage Al Ettifaq.

Kjetil Knutsen and Nuno Espirito Santo are also priced at 12/1, ahead of O'Neil's assistant coach Tommy Elphick at 14/1.

The decision to part company with O'Neil comes as a huge surprise given the 40-year-old was awarded an 18-month deal in November, and was hugely influential in helping the club to preserve their Premier League status.

O'Neil comfortably steered Bournemouth to a 15th-placed finish with 10 victories and six draws from 37 matches, collecting 36 points during his tenure.

A statement read: "We can today confirm we have parted company with head coach Gary O'Neil."

Bournemouth owner and chairman Bill Foley added: "Gary's achievement last season is one I will always be grateful for. This has been a difficult decision, but it has been made with great consideration to best position ourselves ahead of the coming season.

"As a club, we have put plans in place for long-term success with improvements being made to infrastructure, most notably the development of a new state-of-the-art training facility and the ongoing discussions around upgrades to our stadium.

"We have also identified a number of significant targets in the transfer market this summer and believe this change in direction will provide us with the best platform from which to build.

"The appointment of a new head coach will be announced imminently."

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