Next Leicester Manager Odds: Main Contenders To Replace Sacked Marti Cifuentes
Leicester can concentrate on finding a new manager after the Championship club added three new signings on transfer deadline day and a loan signing 24 hours later.
Jamaal Lascelles joined the Foxes on a permanent deal from Newcastle, while Divine Mukasa, Joe Aribo and Dujuan Richards secured loan deals from Manchester City, Southampton and Chelsea, respectively.
Andy King remains in temporary charge of first-team affairs since the dismissal of Marti Cifuentes and is once again the favourite on betting sites to land the job on a permanent basis.
Cifuentes was sacked following a 2-1 home defeat by Oxford, which left Leicester 14th in the Championship table.
The Spaniard oversaw 11 defeats in 29 Championship games during his six-month reign.
The Foxes are now on the hunt for a sixth permanent manager since Brendan Rodgers was sacked nearly three years ago, but who will it be?
King is the frontrunner despite losing his first game at the helm, a 2-0 home defeat by Charlton, who had a man advantage for 75 minutes following the dismissal of Caleb Okoli for the denial of a goalscoring opportunity.
We take a look at some of the candidates to stop the rot at Leicester, who are now nine points adrift of the play-off places.
More from Kingy after #LEICHA 👇 pic.twitter.com/Uaaje9PsHm
— Leicester City (@LCFC) February 1, 2026
Next Leicester Manager Odds: Crown For King?
King, a key member of the squad that won the Premier League title under Claudio Ranieri in the 2015/16 season, had been 16/1 in recent days, but he is once again the favourite at 3/1 to fill the vacancy at Leicester.
The former Foxes midfielder was pleased with the way his side responded to Okoli's early red card, and if the team continue to show fight like that for the rest of the season, King could find himself installed in charge on a permanent basis.
King called time on his playing career at Bristol City at the end of the 2023/24 season, but returned to Leicester almost a year ago as a first-team coach.
The Foxes faithful will be right behind the former Wales international, who also won the Championship and League One titles as a player with Leicester.
Russell Martin Could Step In
One man who knows the Championship both as a player and a manager is Russell Martin, who guided Southampton to the Premier League via the play-offs in the 2023/24 season.
The Scot struggled in the top flight as he refused to compromise on playing out from the back and then had a disastrous spell as Rangers manager, so his reputation has taken a bit of a battering in the last 18 months.
However, Martin impressed during managerial spells with MK Dons and Swansea, so he still has plenty of credit left in the bank.
The former Norwich defender was 4/1 to return to management at the King Power Stadium, but those odds have since drifted to 5/1 with one of the betting apps.
Maresca May Return
Leicester have reportedly made contact with their promotion-winning head coach Enzo Maresca about a dramatic return on a short-term deal until the end of the campaign.
Maresca led City to the Premier League in his only season at the King Power Stadium, but left the club to join heavyweights Chelsea.
Despite winning the Europa Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup with the Blues, the Italian parted company with the club in the new year after 18 months in charge.
Maresca is available for work and is priced at 11/2 to return to Leicester.
🚨 EXCLUSIVE: Leicester City reach out to former manager Enzo Maresca to make stunning return to Championship strugglers | @riccosrant https://t.co/bugPnmuJ37 pic.twitter.com/KKn5oFJOzF
— Mirror Football (@MirrorFootball) January 31, 2026
Coleman In The Frame
Former Wales head coach Chris Coleman has spent the last eight years coaching abroad in China, Greece, Cyprus and Belgium, but he is now the 7/1 fourth favourite to return to the UK and take the reins at Leicester.
Coleman is well known to the Leicester hierarchy, having coached sister club OH Leuven to a respectable 11th-placed finish in the Belgian top flight last season.
The ex-Fulham captain enjoyed several promotions as a player, but success has so far eluded him as a manager, although he sensationally led Wales to the European Championship semi-finals 10 years ago.
His last managerial appointment in England came in the 2017/18 season at Sunderland, who were inside the Championship relegation zone when he replaced Simon Grayson.
However, chairman Ellis Short refused to invest money in player transfers during the January transfer window, which ultimately led to the club being relegated.
Rowett Slips In Market
Former Leicester full-back Rowett was 9/2 for the City job late last week, but his odds have lengthened to 8/1 to replace Cifuentes.
Rowett played for Leicester in the Premier League for two years between 2000-02 and has plenty of managerial experience in the Championship, but he was sacked by Oxford in December.
That said, he steered Birmingham from just outside the relegation zone to 10th place in his debut season in 2014/15 and was controversially sacked by the new ownership at the end of 2016 when the club were in seventh spot.
Rowett guided Derby to the Championship play-offs, and although things did not work out at Stoke, he helped Millwall finish in the top half of the table in three successive seasons, so he has generally done well despite never achieving promotion in almost 14 years as a manager.
Next Leicester Manager Odds:
Manager | Odds | Probability |
Andy King | 3/1 | 25% |
Russell Martin | 5/1 | 16.7% |
Enzo Maresca | 11/2 | 15.4% |
Chris Coleman | 7/1 | 12.5% |
Gary Rowett | 8/1 | 11.1% |
Vito Pereira | 10/1 | 9.1% |
Michael Skubala | 14/1 | 6.7% |
Alan Sheehan | 14/1 | 6.7% |
Lee Carsley | 16/1 | 5.9% |
Ralph Hasenhuttl | 16/1 | 5.9% |
Nigel Pearson | 25/1 | 3.8% |
Pereira Leads Outsiders
Vitor Pereira saved Wolves from Premier League relegation when he joined the club towards the end of 2024, so perhaps he could reinvigorate another Midlands side.
The Portuguese was sacked almost a year ago and is 10/1 to land the Leicester post.
Lincoln manager Michael Skubala looks an interesting option at 14/1.
The former Leeds caretaker boss missed out on the play-offs with the Red Imps on the final day of the 2023/24 season, and although they finished 11th in the following campaign, they are flying in second spot and looking good for automatic promotion.
Former Swansea boss Alan Sheehan started his playing career at Leicester and can also be backed at 14/1, although the odds suggest a move to the King Power is unlikely.
Carsley Club Move Unlikely
Whenever a managerial vacancy arises with one of the Championship’s Midland clubs, Lee Carsley tends to appear as one of the favourites.
The former midfielder had spells with Derby, Coventry (twice) and his hometown club Birmingham, although he is best remembered for his time with Everton.
Carsley has twice led England U21s to the European Championship title and had a spell as interim coach of the Three Lions, winning five of his six games before returning to his day job.
However, Carsley signed a new contract with England U21s last June, and he has no experience of managing a club, which explains why his odds have drifted from 12/1 to 16/1 in recent days.
Hasenhuttl A Dark Horse
Ex-Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl, who spent last season in charge of Bundesliga side Wolfsburg, is also 16/1 to get back on the managerial merry-go-round in England.
Nigel Pearson enjoyed a couple of promotions as Leicester manager during two separate spells and is 25/1 to return for a third stint.
* Reminder: These are hypothetical odds provided by industry experts.
Leicester fans, who would you like to see as a replacement for Marti Cifuentes? Let us know in the comments below or vote in our poll above
