Has race to be next Watford boss become a two-way battle?

According to the bookmakers, the next head coach of Watford will be a Spanish speaker.

Diego Alonso is still the favourite, but his price has fluctuated in the past 24 hours.

The former Uruguayan national team coach has dropped from a firm 1/2 favourite to 2/1.

Meanwhile, Garcia Pimienta, the Spaniard who led Las Palmas to promotion to La Liga in 2023, entered the market at 10/1 yesterday, but by this morning, his price had dropped to just 3/1.

The next shortest in the market is Jose Rojo Martin, also known as Pacheta, who was linked with replacing Tom Cleverley in January.

It is understood that there were work permit issues back then, and while he is 5/1 in the market, it appears unlikely that those issues have been resolved.

Marti Cifuentes, the former QPR manager, has shortened slightly to 6/1, but he is widely tipped to be the next West Bromwich Albion manager and is the 4/1 third favourite to take over at The Hawthorns.

Former Watford manager Sean Dyche is the only other name whose price is dropping in the next head coach market.

The former Hornets defender, who managed the club during the 2011/12 season, has been without a job since Everton fired him in January.

His odds are now 10/1, but a return to Vicarage Road to work for an owner who fired him when he bought the club appears unrealistic.

There have been no new names added to the market recently, and the only other contenders quoted at single-digit prices are Englishman Will Still (8/1), who is currently the head coach at Lens, and current Hornets coach Alberto Garrido (8/1).

Meanwhile, Cleverley remains the second favourite at 5/1 to become QPR’s new manager, while he is also quoted at 20/1 to become Norwich’s next manager.

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