Valerien Ismael is now the clear 1/10 favourite to become the next manager of Blackburn.
The Sky Bet Championship outfit are on the lookout for a new boss following John Eustace's decision to join Derby.
“While we are disappointed by his decision to leave at this crucial stage of the season, we fully understand that the opportunity to move closer to his family and return to a former club played a significant role in his choice," Blackburn said in a club statement.
Ismael has been out of work following his departure from Watford in March of last year. The Hornets were 14th in the Sky Bet Championship table when he left.
He's also had previous spells at both Barnsley and West Brom, winning 57% of the games in charge of the South Yorkshire side before leaving for the Hawthorns.
Next Blackburn manager odds (via Sky Bet)
- Valerien Ismael - 1/10
- David Wagner - 10/1
- Aitor Karanka - 12/1
- Steve Cooper - 16/1
- David Lowe - 20/1
Odds correct at 1400 GMT (25/02/25)
O'Neil no longer fancied
Ismael has replaced Gary O'Neil at the top of the market - he has since drifted to 40/1 from 4/5 favourite.
O'Neil has been out of work following his sacking by Wolves in mid-December. A 2-1 defeat to Ipswich at Molineux left the club sat in 19th at the time of his departure, four points adrift of safety.
The 23/24 Premier League season was one of relative success for the West Midlands outfit though with a 14th place finish secured.
O'Neil's other senior managerial stint saw him take Bournemouth for the majority of the 22/23 campaign where they would end up 15th in England's top-flight.
Wicky another to drift
Former Young Boys boss Raphaël Wicky is another to have drifted in the market - now 25/1 from 4/1.
Wicky led the Swiss outfit to the Super League title and the Swiss Cup in 2022/23, and while they may have won the top-flight again the following season, the 47-year-old didn't oversee the full campaign following his dismissal after back-to-back defeats in March - results which left them just one point ahead in the title race.
His previous experience includes a spell in the MLS with Chicago Fire, although he failed to reach their play-offs in his two seasons at the helm.
Wicky almost became the West Brom boss in January as they searched for a replacement for Carlos Corberan, who opted to join LaLiga outfit Valencia.
More from Sporting Life
Safer gambling
We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.
