Where AI thinks Leicester City will finish in League One under Russell Martin | OneFootball

The Foxes finally confirmed the 40-year-old's appointment this week

Leicester City supporters will be hoping the 2026/27 season is the beginning of a bright era for the club after years of uncertainty, which culminated in just a second-ever relegation to League One.

The Foxes were the second team in as many seasons to suffer back-to-back relegations from the Premier League to the third tier after Luton Town, albeit their plight has been well-documented due to the backdrop of financial uncertainty at the King Power Stadium.

Despite still boasting the division's highest wage bill in 2025/26, Leicester went through both Marti Cifuentes and Gary Rowett as head coaches, but neither could help the club retain its Championship status amid a six-point deduction for previously breaching the EFL's PSR regulations.

As such, there is an understandable air of frustration and apathy towards the club from its supporters at this moment in time, with plenty of it aimed at ownership group, King Power.

However, those within the hierarchy have now finalised the club's latest managerial appointment, bringing a long-standing search for Rowett's eventual successor in the process too.

Indeed, Russell Martin has agreed to his latest managerial challenge, signing a three-year contract in the East Midlands, just months after he was sacked at Rangers after just 17 games, winning just one Scottish Premiership game in the process.

That said, the 40-year-old does have plenty of experience in EFL management through prior spells at MK Dons, Swansea City and Southampton.

His latest job, though, will certainly generate plenty of intrigue, and Football League World asked AI chatbot, ChatGPT, to predict the Foxes' fortunes for 2026/27 as a result.

Leicester City tipped for an immediate Championship return after appointing Russell Martin

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Leicester are already set to release 10 senior players ahead of the 2025/26 season's official end date of June 30th, including club captain Ricardo Pereira, Jordan Ayew - who will represent Ghana at the World Cup - and previous £23m acquisition, Patson Daka.

The likes of Ayew's Black Stars compatriot, Abdul Fatawu, and the highly-rated duo of Ben Nelson and Jeremy Monga have also been the subject of intense transfer interest as the summer window gets off and running for business, and a high turnover of players is unsurprisingly expected given the club's financial situation.

It had been claimed that whoever was to take charge would receive an initial budget of £10m, which is still far greater than the sums many divisional rivals will be operating with.

As a result, AI predicts Leicester will end the season in second place, with several key reasons behind the prediction cited.

The computer believes that, as was the case at Southampton, it could take time for Martin's new-look squad to gel, which puts them on the backfoot in terms of winning the league, but once momentum is generated, the sheer size of the club and its recent history can help swing results massively in their favour, even in difficult matchday conditions throughout the winter months.

AI also believes that Martin's time at MK Dons will be the best benchmark rather than comparisons to his stints at St Mary's and Ibrox, and that a reset of his squad will actually be of a great benefit.

In the transfer market, it has been predicted that Leicester will recruit hungry players on loan from the Premier League, as well as some who have just been released by Championship clubs, or are on the fringes of second tier squads.

AI concludes by revealing that Leicester will end the season on a points total of between 88 and 92, scoring as many as 85 goals.

It is hard to disagree with AI's Leicester City promotion claim

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All things considered, it is hard to disagree with AI's prediction on City's fortunes for the 2026/27 season, especially if all goes according to plan.

The East Midlands side, along with Sheffield Wednesday, will be viewed as major scalps no doubt, and whilst that can have its disadvantages, as previously mentioned, if momentum is generated, the club could be an unstoppable force in League One.

Such feats were also showcased in 2008/09 - Leicester's only previous season at the level - where under the newly-appointed Nigel Pearson, the Foxes finished seven points clear at the top and were promoted alongside Peterborough United and Scunthorpe United, before ending the 2009/10 season in the Championship play-off places.