Ex-Man United Striker Sees Odds Slashed to Become Next Leicester Manager After Marti Cifuentes Sack Latest

Leicester City manager Marti Cifuentes has been sacked following a dismal run in the Championship, with bookmakers installing a former Manchester United striker as the new favorite to take over at the King Power Stadium.[1][3]

Cifuentes, appointed on a three-year contract in July 2025 after leaving Queens Park Rangers, was hired to guide Leicester back to the Premier League after their relegation. However, the Foxes' return to the second tier has been a disaster. Sitting 13th in the table, six points adrift of the playoffs, Leicester have struggled with poor form, including recent losses to Sheffield United and Coventry City despite brief respite from wins over Derby, Ipswich, West Brom, and Cheltenham Town. Last month, Football Insider reported the club seriously considered dismissing him, a threat only temporarily averted by a short unbeaten streak.[1]

Under Cifuentes, Leicester recorded the least distance covered and second-fewest sprints in the Championship, drawing sharp criticism. The Spaniard faced accusations of contradicting himself: pre-stats, he emphasized "the main thing to compete in this league is to be able to run, to win your duels," but later dismissed running stats as "a reference and not something to live and die by," amid defenses of his possession-based style ill-suited to the squad.[2]

Before his sacking—confirmed as of January 2026—Cifuentes was the 5/4 favorite to be the next Championship manager axed, ahead of Birmingham's Chris Davies (4/1), Blackburn's Valerien Ismael (9/2), and Sheffield Wednesday's Henrik Pedersen (5/1). West Brom's Carlos Corberan had been sacked earlier on January 6 after losses, including to Leicester.[1]

Odds have shifted dramatically for his successor. Michael Carrick, previously favored, took an interim role at Manchester United. Now, ex-Man United striker and former Rangers/Southampton boss Russell Martin leads at 4/1, his stock rising post-Ibrox exit in October. The appointment hunt intensifies as Leicester aim to salvage their season.[1]

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