Mauricio Pochettino has been cut into second-favourite to take over at Newcastle United, amid reports of a Saudi Arabian takeover of the club.
News emerged almost a fortnight ago that PCP Capital Partners' takeover bid for the club had reached the Premier League's Owners and Directors' Test stage.
The bid, spearheaded by financier Amanda Staveley and also involving the Reuben brothers, Simon and David, is backed by the mega-rich Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund and Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.
The deal is in the hands of the Premier League now and reports on Sunday suggested the deal could be approved 'within 10 days'.
It has left fans excited about a possible new dawn on Tyneside and with the end of the Mike Ashley era comes speculation over the manager's position at St James' Park.
Reports last week suggested Pochettino could be keen to take on the project at Newcastle and bookies have now cut odds from 14/1 into as short as 3/1 that the Argentine boss takes over from Steve Bruce at Newcastle.
That means Pochettino only trails favourite Rafa Benitez in the market, with the Spaniard priced as the 7/2 market leader.
However, Benitez actually trails Pochettino in terms of the most popular punt, with Poch the most backed in the market, attracting 36% of all bets in the last 24 hours.
Kevin Keegan is another market mover, cut from 66/1 into as short as 9/4, although one firm is offering the best price of 8/1.
A pair of international managers follow next, with Roberto Mancini (8/1) and Massimilano Allegri (10/1) next in the betting.
Bookmakers have also released odds on whether Steve Bruce will be in the hot-seat for the first fame of next season and it’s not looking good for the 59-year-old.
Bookies Paddy Power currently make it 2/7 odds-on that Bruce is not in charge for the first day of the 2020/21 season.
On the flip side, it’s 5/2 against that Bruce is in charge of the Magpies when next season kicks off.
Oddschecker spokesperson Callum Wilson told Chronicle Live: “It's likely Newcastle United's new-found wealth will ultimately spell the end for local boy Steve Bruce, due to the Magpies' will for a more attractive managerial name at the helm.
“Mauricio Pochettino has been unemployed for several months now, and while he's one of the hottest properties in Europe, Newcastle's financial clout would go a long way in helping secure his signature.”
