Leicester City set to appoint Marti Cifuentes as new manager | OneFootball

Leicester City are on the verge of naming Marti Cifuentes as their new manager, according to the Telegraph.

Talks with the former Queens Park Rangers boss are at an advanced stage, and confirmation could arrive by the end of the week.

The 43-year-old is ahead of other candidates, including Chris Wilder and Gary O’Neil, with club owner Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha personally involved in interviews at the club’s Holyport base.

Cifuentes left QPR by mutual consent at the end of last season, but Leicester are still expected to pay around £500,000 in compensation to finalise the deal.

The appointment comes during a period of major upheaval at the King Power Stadium.

With Ruud van Nistelrooy’s awful spell now a thing of the past, the Foxes are preparing for life back in the Championship for the second time in three seasons.

Off the pitch, they also have the threat of a points deduction hanging over their heads after being charged for breaching the Premier League’s financial rules.

However, Cifuentes’ imminent arrival offers a symbol of hope for the fans.

The Spanish tactician made a name for himself in Sweden, where he led Hammarby IF into European competition with a high-tempo, possession-based brand of football.

He then moved to QPR, where he caught the eye after rescuing the club from relegation. However, it didn’t quite work out in the end, as he failed to see eye to eye with senior figures.

Cifuentes shares a footballing philosophy with former Leicester manager Enzo Maresca, which might explain why the club is keen to appoint him.

He’s certainly in for a rough start, especially now that club legend Jamie Vardy has ended his 13-year spell with the Foxes. A few other key players could also leave to raise funds.

However, there’s plenty of optimism that Cifuentes is the ideal candidate to lead the Foxes back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.