Premier League odds: Steve Cooper's Leicester City 6/1 to complete Nottingham Forest double

Steve Cooper has been named as Leicester City's new manager and we have priced the former Nottingham Forest boss up at 6/1 to lead his new charges to a Premier League double over their East Midlands rivals in 2024/25.

The appointment of the Welshman - who was in charge at Forest for just over two years prior to his dismissal in December - comes less than 48 hours after speculation had started to mount that former Chelsea boss Graham Potter was on the verge of filling the King Power Stadium vacancy.

However, a dramatic late change of heart from the Leicester hierarchy means the former England youth coach is the man entrusted with helping the Foxes preserve their top-flight status, after Enzo Maresca, who recently left to join Chelsea, had led them straight back into the top-flight at the first time of asking.

Cooper's arrival will understandably be a divisive one for Foxes supporters, given the 44-year-old's recent association with their near-neighbours, but that will all be forgotten if he can, somewhat against the odds, lead the club to safety and take maximum spoils from the two fixtures against his former employers.

Leicester City points versus Nottingham Forest

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bet365's Steve Freeth said: "Leicester City supporters will have gone to bed on Tuesday night fully expecting Graham Potter to be named as their club's new manager, but instead, they were waking up on Wednesday to news that it would, instead, be former Nottingham Forest man Steve Cooper at the helm.

"Wes Morgan trod that same path, when switching Forest for the Foxes, and proved to be a huge hit, but it appears to be a far from straightforward move for the ex Swansea City manager given everything going on off the field, together with his former Forest allegiances."

Cooper won't have to wait long to reacquaint himself with his former club, with the King Power set to play host to the first meeting between the two sides on Saturday 26th October, six months before the reverse fixture, on Saturday 10th May, at the City Ground.

Whilst he will be keen to take maximum spoils from both fixtures, his biggest priority lies in attempting to steer Leicester clear of the drop zone this term, with the Foxes the current 4/9 favourites to slip back through the trap-door next May.

The fact that a points deduction is also likely to be officially ratified by the Football Association in the coming weeks also adds further difficulties to what already appears a challenging proposition for the new manager.

The Foxes breached the Premier League's Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR) as they romped to the Championship title last season, and are likely to be under significant financial restraints this summer as they seek to comply with PSR rules and avoid any further sanctions.

Still, Cooper, who has been out of work since departing Forest six months ago, will quietly fancy his chances of replicating his impressive work at the City Ground.

He masterminded the Tricky Trees' remarkable rise into the Premier League from the lower echelons of the Championship, before securing their top-flight survival in what was their first campaign back at that level in almost a quarter of a century.

And whilst he ultimately paid the price for a disappointing final few months in charge of the club, his stock has remained high, with the Foxes owners holding full belief that he is the right candidate to take over the managerial reins from Maresca.

Cooper's first competitive fixture for his new club will come against Tottenham Hotspur at the King Power, on Monday 19th August, with Midlanders priced at 17/4 to upstage Ange Postecoglu's men, who are 8/13 to depart Leicestershire with all three points in-tow.

2024/25 Premier League

Odds displayed were correct at the time of writing and are subject to fluctuation.