Ipswich Town next manager: Gary O’Neil emerges as favourite after odds tumble

Gary O’Neil has now emerged as the favourite to become the new Ipswich Town manager with one bookmaker.

The former Wolves manager is currently in charge of Ligue 1 outfit Strasbourg, where he guided the club to an eighth-place finish this season and reached the Conference League semi-finals.

Now, reports have emerged that the 43-year-old is one of the leading candidates to take over at the Tractor Boys as they search for Kieran McKenna’s successor.

As a result, one bookmaker has made him the joint-favourite for the job at 2/1 after slashing his odds.

O’Neil has a solid record in the Premier League and guided both AFC Bournemouth and Wolves to safety despite their difficulties.

The Englishman currently had a contract until 2028 at Strasbourg, with the club possessing the option of an additional year.

Gary O’Neil set to battle Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for Ipswich Town job

According to BBC Sport’s report on 16 June, O’Neil and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer are both the leading candidates to be in the Ipswich Town dugout next season.

The former Manchester United boss has not been in management since August, when he was sacked at Turkish side Besiktas.

Solskjaer had formerly worked alongside McKenna at the Red Devils, with the former Ipswich boss being the Norwegian’s assistant, which could prove to be a key factor in the search this summer.

However, O’Neil’s record of never being relegated from the Premier League could also be a deciding factor, with Solskjaer having previously taken Cardiff City back down to the Championship early into his management career.

Who else is linked with the Ipswich Town job?

The other favourite for the role is unsurprisingly Solskjaer, who is also 2/1 to secure the job this summer.

This is followed by the current Bodo/Glimt manager Kjetil Knutsen at 4/1, who was the previous favourite for the role.

The coach led the Norwegian side to the Champions League quarter-finals this season in what was a memorable run.

Brendan Rodgers is also in the mix at 5/1, with the former Liverpool boss currently in charge of Saudi Pro League side Al Qadsiah.

A potential outsider for the Ipswich job is Cardiff City manager Brian Barry-Murphy at 12/1 after he led the club back to the Championship at the first time of asking in the 2025-26 campaign.