Roy Hodgson looks increasingly likely to be leaving Crystal Palace when his contract runs out at the end of the season. He seems unwilling to sign his one-year extension clause and retirement is a strong possibility as he is the oldest manager in the league at the age of 72.
And this is largely because Hodgson was fairly unhappy with the lack of signings in the January transfer window, with only Cenk Tosun brought in from Everton.
Here are some managers who could potentially succeed him.
Rafael Benitez
Rafael Benitez is a hugely respected and popular manager. The Spaniard currently manages Dalian Yifang in China and has a whopping £20m release clause in his contract at the club.
And that is clearly quite a lot of money, but the manager has such pedigree and an innate ability to get the best out of players that he may just be worth it. With the likes of Wilfried Zaha, Patrick van Aanholt and Jordan Ayew in the squad already, Benitez could be the perfect man to get the very best out of what is a talented group of players.
Sam Allardyce
Sam Allardyce is one of the most experienced managers in English football, having taken charge of a record seven Premier League clubs. At Everton - his most recent club - he guided them to an impressive eighth place in the league, yet the fans were dissatisfied by his style of play.
It is worth remembering that Allardyce has managed Crystal Palace before, as he took over in December 2016. He brought in Luka Milivojevic and Jeffrey Schlupp as well as fan favourite Patrick van Aanholt in the January transfer window alone, and did just enough to keep the club in the Premier League.
Sam Allardyce may be exactly what Palace are looking for as they remain a fairly average side and could do with a kick up the backside on top of some valuable experience. He may be more of a short term option than a lot of the other managers on this list.
Chris Hughton
Chris Hughton may be a tempting option for Crystal Palace, particularly as he is currently without a job and therefore a much cheaper option than the likes of Benitez. He also has some Premier League pedigree, having done an admirable job at Brighton & Hove Albion recently.
However, he was regularly criticised for his negative approach to games while at Brighton - the Seagulls went 12 hours and 15 minutes without scoring a goal at a point - and lost his job because of this.
This appointment wouldn't excite Palace fans, but it could be a clever appointment.
Javi Garcia
Another manager currently out of a job is former Watford boss Javi Garcia.
Gracia spent in Spain made him a very highly-rated manager and although his time at Watford didn't exactly end too well, he did still manage to impressively reach the FA Cup Final in 2019 (the less said about the actual final the better).
Garcia is a calculated and calm operator which could work out surprising well for Crystal Palace if he replaces Hodgson in the coming months.
Aidy Boothroyd
Last but not least, is England Under-21 manager. Aidy Boothroyd has done a fine job at underage level but the Crystal Palace job would be a huge step up for him.
His experience at developing young players, however, would be a helpful asset to the club in the long-term, even if his appointment may not guarantee instant results.
Source : 90min