3 Marti Cifuentes replacements Leicester City should consider ASAP | OneFootball

Leicester City are on the hunt for a new manager following Marti Cifuentes' dismissal

Leicester City are on the hunt for a new man in the dugout, as Marti Cifuentes became the latest managerial casualty following the Foxes' 2-1 home defeat to Oxford United on Saturday.

It's not been the return to the Championship that many associated with Leicester would have hoped for, with previous financial difficulties leading to a points deduction that hasn't been issued as yet looming like a dark cloud over the King Power Stadium.

Consequently, the performances have been subpar under Cifuentes. After a middling campaign which has seen the Foxes ship the third-most goals in the division, and pick up just 38 points in 29 games, a staggering 31 fewer than they had at this point under Enzo Maresca two years ago, the former QPR boss was sacked.

Now, Leicester are searching for a new manager, and given the uncertainty surrounding the club's points total, it seems an unenviable job. Nevertheless, here are three names the higher-ups at the King Power Stadium should consider.

Russell Martin

Russell Martin's stock as a manager has decreased massively since he won promotion with Southampton in the 2023/24 campaign.

The 40-year-old was fighting an uphill battle to keep the Saints in the top flight at the start of last season, and then evidently wasn't the man to lead Rangers through a transition period to begin the current campaign.

Despite this, though, there's no doubt what Martin can do in the Championship if given a side filled with quality, which Leicester does have, even if the side at the moment resides in the bottom half of the division.

Martin was reportedly in advanced talks to become the new Leicester boss in the summer, before the Foxes landed on Cifuentes, so the former Premier League champions could look to reignite those talks to bring in someone who has a promotion in this division.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was close to being handed the interim job at Manchester United earlier this month, but was ultimately overlooked by his former side, and former Middlesbrough manager Michael Carrick was given the reins instead.

However, that could indicate that the 52-year-old is prepared to get back into management after being sacked by Turkish side Besiktas last August.

In the interim between that sacking and now, the former United boss, who was the last man to guide the Premier League club to a top-two finish in the top flight, has said that he'd be open to taking over a Championship club as his next job.

The Norwegian manager stated that he would start with a side in the lower division when playing Football Manager and work with them to "make them be the best versions of themselves".

There's no doubt that this Leicester job is a real project, as the club is seemingly in freefall a decade on from their Premier League triumph, so a move to the dugout at the King Power could be one that really interests him.

And given his managerial pedigree and success in a Manchester United club that has its fair share of off-field issues, Leicester shouldn't turn him away if he expresses that interest.

Gary Rowett

This final choice may not be one that would excite Leicester fans, as, while effective, Gary Rowett's style and approach isn't for everyone, and those at the King Power who still associate the Foxes with being among the upper echelons of English clubs would turn their noses up at such a suggestion.

However, Leicester could be in a position in a month or so where they are fighting against relegation. It's suggested that the Foxes will be deducted between six and 10 points for previous financial rule breaks, and as it stands now, if it's the latter, they'll drop into the bottom three.

Rowett's a firefighter against Championship relegation. He's very good at coming into sides that need to pull their purse strings a little tighter and generate positive results regardless. He also enjoyed a couple of years of his playing career at Leicester, too, so has that previous connection.

A play-off position looks unlikely right now for the Foxes, especially with a points deduction looking inevitable. If that's the case, then they should be looking to see out this season still in the Championship before going again next year.

Therefore, they could do much worse than bring in Rowett on a short-term deal until the end of the season to ensure that, before going again with someone a little more traditionally "ambitious" in the summer.