It seems that Leicester City are not wasting any time in looking for a replacement for Claudio Ranieri, as the search for someone to fill the vacant managerial vacancy.
Hours after Ranieri was sacked, bookies scraped together odds on who would become the next permanent Leicester manager, and It looks like another Premier League title winner is favourite to land the job, according to Ladbrokes.
Former Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini is the clear favourite to succeed Ranieri, with odds of 7/4 going in his favour.
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And though a sensational return to the club for Nigel Pearson has been rumoured - with a number of senior players apparently wanting their former boss back in charge, Leicester have made contact with Mancini about taking over.
According to Sky Sports, citing their mysterious 'Sky Sources', Leicester have approached the man who guided Manchester City to their trophy in 34 years by winning the FA Cup in 2011 and following it up with the club's first league title success in 44 years.
He was sacked by the club after losing the dressing room at the backend of the 2012/13 season - with the FA Cup final defeat to Wigan Athletic at Wembley acting as the final nail in the coffin.
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The Italian, who played for Leicester City on loan in 2001, took charge of both Galatasaray and Inter Milan in recent years but left the latter club on a mutual basis in the summer.
He was linked with the Crystal Palace post before Sam Allardyce got the job and he's now been "sounded out" by Leicester as a potential replacement for Ranieri.
Sky say that no formal discussions have taken place as of yet but it appears that Leicester have earmarked him as their number one choice.
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Despite winning the Premier League last season in one of the biggest shocks in football history, Leicester City parted company with the popular Ranieri yesterday.
'Dilly Ding Dilly Dong' - Ranieri was a hit with fans and media thanks to his charm and charisma.
The Foxes have struggled to gain any sort of momentum this season, and despite their impressive run in the Champions League, The Daily Mail first reported that Ranieri had gone.
Leicester City then released the following statement:
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"Leicester City Football Club has tonight (Thursday) parted company with its First Team Manager, Claudio Ranieri. Claudio, appointed City manager in July 2015, led the Foxes to the greatest triumph in the Club's 133-year history last season, as we were crowned champions of England for the first time. His status as the most successful Leicester City manager of all time is without question.
"However, domestic results in the current campaign have placed the Club's Premier League status under threat and the Board reluctantly feels that a change of leadership, while admittedly painful, is necessary in the Club's greatest interest."
Vice Chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha also commented on the sacking:
"This has been the most difficult decision we have had to make in nearly seven years since King Power took ownership of Leicester City. But we are duty-bound to put the Club's long-term interests above all sense of personal sentiment, no matter how strong that might be.
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"Claudio has brought outstanding qualities to his office. His skilful management, powers of motivation and measured approach have been reflective of the rich experience we always knew he would bring to Leicester City. His warmth, charm and charisma have helped transform perceptions of the Club and develop its profile on a global scale. We will forever be grateful to him for what he has helped us to achieve.
"It was never our expectation that the extraordinary feats of last season should be replicated this season. Indeed, survival in the Premier League was our first and only target at the start of the campaign. But we are now faced with a fight to reach that objective and feel a change is necessary to maximise the opportunity presented by the final 13 games."
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