Leicester City are set to axe Ruud van Nistelrooy with Russell Martin in line to replace the Dutchman, talkSPORT understands.
Van Nistelrooy’s future has been under scrutiny following a disastrous spell in charge of the Foxes which saw them relegated to the Championship.
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The former Manchester United striker has two years remaining on his deal but club chiefs are ready for a parting of the ways with Martin ready to step in, as reported by talkSPORT on Saturday.
The Foxes are looking for a quick resolution as they begin their plans for life in the Championship for the second time in three years.
It is understood that the board want to appoint a manager with experience of Championship promotion – a feat Martin achieved with Southampton in the 2023/24 campaign.
Martin was sacked by the Saints in December and just 16 games into the Premier League season, having registered a whopping 13 defeats.
His departure from St Mary’s came just weeks after Van Nistelrooy replaced Steve Cooper at the King Power Stadium.
The Foxes were one point clear of the bottom three at the time of his appointment but a horrific run of form which saw them lose a staggering 16 games from 18 played between December and February.
An unwanted record followed as Leicester became the first side in the top four tiers of English football to lose eight successive home league games without scoring.
Van Nistelrooy became only the second manager in Premier League history to lose eight successive home games in the competition, after Daniel Farke did so in September 2021 with Norwich City.
A 1-0 defeat to Liverpool in April made it nine games on the bounce without a goal in front of their supporters before a 2-0 win over the Saints finally ended the drought earlier this month.
The Dutchman oversaw an improved run of form as the season drew to a close, taking seven points from a possible nine before slipping to a 2-0 defeat at Bournemouth on the final day of the season.
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Meanwhile, Martin has also been touted for the vacant managerial position at Rangers.
The Ibrox club hold Martin high up on their list of candidates but the 39-year-old appears set for a stay in English football.
Martin favours a possession-based style where his teams control the match with patient approach.
His methods have not always sat well with fans, having suffered heavy defeats in the process of imbedding his style.
But rather than change his philosophy when things aren’t going to plan, Martin instead opts to improve his game plan.
His style is not too dissimilar to that of former Leicester boss Enzo Marecsa who got the Foxes promoted while playing an almost identical style.
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Asked about his managerial convictions, Martin told the Guardian: “We do things in our own way.
“Maybe some people will really like it and find it exciting or different or refreshing. Some people will hate it and say: ‘Why are they passing that close to their own goal?’
“Of course, results keep me in a job but I’ve been happier with a performance when losing than I have sometimes when we have won, playing really poorly, and I always make that really clear to the players.
“Winning ugly every now and then is fine, but you don’t get away with it for long.”
