da bwin： Jose Mourinho is among the favourites to become Chelsea manager after Mauricio Pochettino's exit, with odds slashed on a third term in west London.

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Mourinho has managed Chelsea twice beforeLinked again after Pochettino's exitEnzo Maresca and Kieran McKenna favouritesWHAT HAPPENED?

Mourinho left Chelsea for the second time in 2015, and went on to manage Manchester United, Tottenham, and Roma. Pochettino's departure has seen a number of coaches linked, with Ipswich's Kieran McKenna and Leicester's Enzo Maresca currently the frontrunners in the betting. But a flurry of punts on Mourinho taking over has seen his odds plummet.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Per the London Evening Standard, Chelsea are looking for a young, upwardly mobile coach, but the betting appears to run contrary to the reportage. Mourinho is out of work, though, and is available. It remains to be seen if the current ownership at Stamford Bridge would be willing to bring the Portuguese back. Across two separate spells, he won the Premier League three times.

WHAT THE BOOKIES SAID

Bet365's Steve Freeth told the Standard: "From 10.15 until 10.50 this morning, every single bet we took on the next Chelsea manager was on Jose Mourinho, which goes against the grain of the reports of Chelsea wanting a young and dynamic manager.

"In that time his odds plummeted from 40/1 into 2/1 favourite." Maresca and McKenna remain the favourites.

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

Chelsea will want to move decisively as they aim to appoint Pochettino's successor. While it feels unlikely Mourinho will be the man to replace the Argentine, stranger things have certainly happened.