Next Leicester City Manager: Five Potential Candidates to Replace Russell Martin
Russell Martin's Leicester City project has hit its lowest point yet, after a 0-4 home defeat to Oxford United at the King Power Stadium left the Foxes 17th in League One.
Mark Harris scored twice either side of a Mo Missanga strike, with Jamie McDonnell adding a fourth late on, as Oxford ran riot just four days after Leicester had picked up their first league win of the season, a 2-0 victory over Plymouth Argyle.
It's the sort of result that will only add to the frustration among supporters who have already booed and chanted for change after home defeats to Burton Albion and a goalless draw with MK Dons earlier in the campaign.
UK betting sites are yet to open a formal market on Martin's Leicester future, and he remains contracted until 2029.
However, the scale of Saturday's defeat means the club's decision-makers will already be weighing up who could replace him if the pressure keeps building.
Next Leicester Manager Candidates
With no market currently priced up, here at Free Bets, we've picked out five of the names being talked about as potential candidates should Leicester decide to make a change.
Darren Ferguson
Darren Ferguson was one of the frontrunners for the Leicester job before Martin was appointed in the summer, and he remains available having been out of work since leaving Peterborough United in October 2025.
The 54-year-old has three separate League One promotions on his CV from four spells at Peterborough, giving him more third-tier pedigree than anyone else in the frame.
Dave Challinor
Dave Challinor left Stockport County after their League One play-off final defeat to Bolton Wanderers in May, and has been out of work since.
He has reached the play-offs or better in every one of his 15 full seasons in management, a remarkable consistency record that would appeal to a Leicester board looking for a safe, structured appointment.
Neil Lennon
Neil Lennon made over 170 appearances for Leicester as a player and is currently in charge of Scottish Championship side Dunfermline Athletic.
The 55-year-old won five league titles with Celtic and would be a popular, sentimental choice in the East Midlands, even if his most recent managerial experience is a division below England's third tier.
Christian Fuchs
Christian Fuchs is a genuine Leicester legend, part of the 2015/16 Premier League title-winning squad, and he is currently out of work after stepping down as Newport County manager in June.
He guided Newport to League Two survival in his first managerial job before deciding to leave after seven months, so the pedigree in the dugout is unproven, but few candidates would carry more emotional weight with Foxes fans.
Scott Parker
Scott Parker has been out of work since leaving Burnley by mutual consent in April, following the club's relegation from the Premier League, and has already been linked with a return at West Ham amid the pressure on Nuno Espirito Santo.
He has managed at Fulham, Bournemouth, Club Brugge and Burnley, so taking a League One job would be a big step down, but it would represent an ambitious, high-profile swing if Leicester's owners wanted to make a statement appointment.
For now, Martin remains in charge, and Leicester's hierarchy will hope Saturday's result proves a blip rather than the start of a genuine crisis.
But with the club already 17th in League One after five games, patience is clearly running short, and this page will be updated if a formal market opens or the situation changes.
