‘Russell Martin in pole position to be next Leicester City manager’
Russell Martin is in pole position to become the next Leicester City manager as Ruud van Nistelrooy is set to be sacked in the coming weeks.
That is according to former Man United and Blackburn chief scout Mick Brown, who remains very well-connected within the game, as he exclusively told Football Insider that Martin would bring a clear direction and style to the club.
A number of contenders are being considered for the role, but the 39-year-old’s recent achievement of taking Southampton to promotion is seen as a valuable asset.
When the Saints were relegated in 2023, Martin was tasked with bringing them back to the Premier League, and did so at the first time of asking.
This comes after Brown told Football Insider on 7 April that Van Nistelrooy will be sacked by Leicester after a disastrous season since his appointment.
Russell Martin the ‘leading candidate’ to take over at Leicester
Brown told Football Insider that Leicester are eyeing Martin and Sean Dyche among a number of candidates for the job ahead of the off-season.
Now, the former scout who has a wealth of experience working with top-level managers including the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson for over a decade at Man United, has insisted Martin would bring clarity and direction to the club.
“Ruud is going to be sacked, there’s no doubt about that,” he told Football Insider.
“I wasn’t impressed by Russell Martin in the Premier League, but he was a big reason why they got promoted in the first place.
“That’s what Leicester are looking for – a manager to guide them back up straight away.
“There are a few names on their list, Sean Dyche is one I’ve heard, for example.
“But it sounds like Martin is the leading candidate for it at the moment, based on what I hear.
“Anybody would’ve had a difficult job to do at Southampton this season, that was proven when they didn’t improve under the new manager.
“I know somebody who has just left alongside a load of the staff there, so it wasn’t a great situation.
“Leicester have to a make a decision about the direction they want to go, how they want to play, and how they want to do it.
“One thing Martin brings is a clear direction and style, and that may not be to everybody’s taste, but it would give the club a clear route to take.”
PSR issues continue to rise at the King Power Stadium
Turmoil at Leicester looks set to continue off the pitch following their relegation from the Premier League amid growing financial concerns.
Despite being charged by the Premier League for breaking the PSR in 2022-23, Leicester avoided a points deduction after exploiting a loophole in the rules.
However, their case with the Premier League is still ongoing and the two parties remain in arbitration and a points deduction remains a possibility.
Now, former Man City financial adviser Stefan Borson has told Football Insider Leicester could face more PSR issues after a Premier League rule change.
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