Wednesday's Manager Latest:

The next managerial appointment in the Premier League may be the most controversial of the summer with Alex McLeish now a best price of just 4/11 to join Aston Villa, according to StanJames. The former Birmingham boss is now openly in talks with owner Randy Lerner. A Villa statement had said: “The club understands that Alex McLeish is a free agent. We therefore intend to interview him imminently.”

The Blues responded by accusing their neighbours of “tapping up” the man who only resigned from his post at St Andrews on Sunday. McLeish’s old job is still up for grabs with Chris Hughton the current favourite at 6/4 with SkyBet. Alan Shearer is 10/1 with WilliamHill for that vacancy now that he has demonstrated a potential willingness to leave his role as a BBC pundit for another crack in the dugout.

The former England striker interviewed for the Cardiff City job before admitting that negotiations had broken down. The latest favourite for the Welsh Championship side is Malky Mackay who is a best price of 8/15 with StanJames. Watford have rejected the initial approach for their manager but the phrasing used by Hornets‘ owner Lawrence Bassini suggests that the matter isn’t yet closed. “I now need to consult (chairman) Graham Taylor and the board of directors,” he said.

Meanwhile the odds on Guus Hiddink becoming the new Chelsea manager just get shorter all the time. The Dutchman is just 2/5 with Bluesquare now.