Where Will They Go? Predicting the Summer Moves for Football's Elite Available Managers

With the campaign drawing to a close, the managerial carousel inevitably takes centre stage. We've tracked the ten finest coaches currently without a club and now it's time to game out where each one might pitch up come summer.

10. Thomas Frank – Crystal Palace

The Danish tactician's Spurs experiment proved a sobering reminder that not every well-run operation translates elsewhere. Whether his Brentford success was born of his own brilliance or the infrastructure around him remains an open question he'll need to answer. Palace are weighing up Frank against Robbie Keane, but a manager battle-tested in the Premier League—and comfortable sharing responsibility—might appeal to a club tired of Oliver Glasner's recent theatrics.

9. Edin Terzic – Athletic Bilbao

The 42-year-old has been in no rush since his Dortmund exit, despite being ready for a new challenge since September. His near-misses at domestic and European glory have earned him the luxury of being selective. Two years away from the dugout is a long sabbatical, but Athletic Club's vacancy—with Ernesto Valverde departing—appears to have caught his attention. Terzic has already rebuffed Everton and Monaco, waiting for the perfect fit.

8. Ruben Amorim – Benfica

Mourinho's unbeaten league record masks an uncomfortable truth: Benfica sit third, seven points adrift of Porto and stripped of cup ambitions. The Portuguese chief's contract, inked upon his September 2025 return, contains a mutual exit clause within ten days of season's end. Amorim's Manchester United interlude left scars, his rigid tactical dogmatism having failed to unlock talent at Old Trafford. A homecoming to the Lisbon outfit makes sense—they remember his Sporting triumphs more than his struggles on the red side of Manchester.

7. Ange Postecoglou – Bournemouth

Currently serving as a UEFA technical advisor, the Australian has insisted he harbours unfinished business on these shores, particularly in the top flight. His methods demand a pre-season head start, limiting immediate options. Leeds remain a possibility if Daniel Farke falls from favour at Elland Road, but Bournemouth represents a more likely landing spot. With Andoni Iraola potentially eyeing bigger opportunities, the Cherries offer Postecoglou a stable platform and a malleable squad to rehabilitate his reputation.

6. Sean Dyche – Burnley

Spurs' refusal to appoint Dyche remains one of football's great injustices. The firefighter tag, fairly or otherwise, will likely deter Premier League directors from the upper echelons, potentially leaving him cooling his heels. A summer of festival season beckons—unless Burnley dispense with Scott Parker and the romantic pull of returning to the club he guided from the Championship to European football proves irresistible.

5. Enzo Maresca – Manchester City

Getting the Chelsea sack has done wonders for Maresca's stock. His tenure produced respectable returns—the FIFA Club World Cup polishing his CV—but the Stamford Bridge circus has only enhanced his reputation since his January departure. City's hierarchy harbour admirers of the Italian, and should Pep Guardiola depart, Maresca sits among three frontrunners alongside Alonso and Vincent Kompany. With Kompany settled at Bayern, Maresca's path to the Etihad appears clear.

4. Zinedine Zidane – France

Only one job truly tempts Zidane back. International football offers the part-time appeal of club management without the daily grind of the Bernabeu. He's been waiting for Didier Deschamps to vacate the France position, and a World Cup cycle away from that happening, everything seems aligned for a return to national team duty.

3. Gareth Southgate – Corporate Life

The former England manager is unlikely to manage again—odds favour him staying out of the dugout indefinitely. Two years on from his resignation, he appears settled in his consultancy world. He's stipulated he'd only return for a Premier League club capable of winning silverware, a criterion few clubs meet. His critique of eroding managerial authority in the modern game suggests the daily grind no longer appeals. Expect more boardroom roles, podcast appearances and speaking engagements rather than a return to the touchline.

2. Xavi – Chelsea

The Barcelona legend has expressed a desire for a Premier League opportunity, yet the project he envisions may not exist. His previous comments about preferring the passion of English football to Spain's results-obsessed culture raise questions about whether he understands what he'd be entering. Still, a man with Champions League success on his CV can afford to be choosy. If anyone can convince Xavi that Chelsea represents a genuine long-term project, it's the club's sprawling recruitment apparatus—they certainly need someone to impose order.

1. Xabi Alonso – Liverpool

The Reds faithful have made their preference abundantly clear, and Alonso's shadow has hung over Arne Slot's entire campaign. While Slot's title defence has been disappointing enough to justify change, the hierarchy appear keen to resist the obvious narrative—perhaps to project unity in the Champions League push, or genuinely believing a post-Salah rebuild remains salvageable. But sometimes the people know what they want, and Anfield's people want their prodigal son returned.