Leicester manager hunt takes huge twist as promotion-chasing EFL boss emerges among favourites
Leicester City could be about to see their search for a new manager take a huge twist as a fresh candidate has emerged.
The Foxes recently sacked Marti Cifuentes with the team struggling in the bottom half of the Championship, and they are keen to make their next appointment as quickly as possible.
Leicester’s situation in the Championship has now worsened even further after they were hit with a six-point deduction by the EFL on Thursday, which has left them outside the relegation zone on goal difference alone.
The East Midlands outfit are now facing a very real possibility of being relegated to League One at the end of the season, and that has heaped further pressure on Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha to get the next appointment right.
Michael Skubala sees odds slashed to take over at Leicester
Russell Martin has been among the favourites for the Leicester job, with the likes of Enzo Maresca and Gary Rowett also being linked with the vacant position.
Interim boss Andy King is also likely to be in the frame for the role, despite the team suffering a 2-0 defeat at home to Charlton Athletic under his guidance last weekend.
Leicester are now winless in their last four league games, and they are in need of a manager who can come in and make an immediate impact to pull them away from the bottom four.
The Foxes’ points deduction has coincided with a remarkable rise through the betting markets for Lincoln City boss Michael Skubala.
The 43-year-old has the Imps sitting second in League One at the moment, as they chase a promotion to the second tier for the first time in over six decades.
Skubala has come from nowhere to emerge as one of the favourites to take over at Leicester on Friday, with one major bookmaker now pricing him at just 4/1 to get the job.
Skubala’s managerial record in the EFL
Lincoln’s exploits in League One this season have seen Skubala’s stock rise with every passing game of late, and as a result, it is no surprise to see him linked with a huge job like Leicester.
The former Leeds United academy boss has turned Lincoln into perennial play-off contenders since his arrival in November 2023, and they could be about to go one better this term.
| Games | W | D | L | Win % | |
| 2025-26 | 29 | 17 | 7 | 5 | 58.62% |
| Total | 105 | 47 | 29 | 29 | 44.76% |
Skubala has seamlessly adapted to his first managerial job in senior football, and as a result, has arguably become one of the EFL’s brightest young bosses in recent years.
He boasts a win percentage of just shy of 45 per cent in the third tier, which is an admirable return considering the Imps often find themselves competing with clubs with far superior budgets.
His work at the LNER Stadium was always likely to see him attract attention from clubs elsewhere, and it is Leicester who could now be fortunate enough to land him.