Alan Pardew surprise favourite to replace Claudio Ranieri should Leicester City sack the Italian

Leicester City boss Claudio Ranieri is now the odds-on favourite for the sack (1/2 Sky Bet), just nine months after winning the Premier League title.

Leicester’s shocking form in 2017 continued on Sunday after they were beaten 2-0 by relegation rivals Swansea, leaving the defending champions dangling dangerously above the drop zone, with a tally of one point from their last six top-flight games.

The fifth successive defeat has put Ranieri under immense pressure and you can now place a bet on who will replace the Italian should he be axed.

Bookmakers Paddy Power have today (Monday) opened up the Next Leicester City Manager Market and it’s fair to say there are a few questionable names in the mix.

Former Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew, who in December became the second top-flight casualty of the campaign, has emerged as the surprise 5/1 favourite at the top of the betting.

A familiar face in Nigel Pearson is next in the mix at 6/1 to make a shock return to the club that sacked him in 18 months ago. Pearson left in controversial fashion after miraculously saving Leicester from the drop, but deserves credit for laying the foundations for the club’s stunning title win.

Avram Grant, yes Avram Grant, is a rather perplexing addition at 8/1, while Mark Warburton, who left Rangers last week, is next in the mix at 10/1, alongside the man who’s linked with just about every job at the moment: Gary Rowett.

Leicester are next in action on Saturday when they travel to League One outfit Millwall in the fifth round of the FA Cup.

The next Leicester City manager market has now opened up...

Alan Pardew
Avram Grant
...Nigel Pearson?#LCFC https://t.co/Laq9CtNFVd pic.twitter.com/b1UoGqJrJ9

— The Sack Race (@thesackrace) February 13, 2017