Russell Martin in advanced talks with Leicester City over managerial return

Leicester City are in advanced talks with Russell Martin to take over as manager, talkSPORT understands.

Martin has been out of work since being sacked by Rangers last October having won just five of his 17 matches in charge.

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He is now in contention to take over at The King Power Stadium as the Foxes prepare for only their second ever season in the third tier of English football.

However, it is also understood Martin has other options both in the UK and abroad, meaning a move to Leicester is far from being a formality at this stage.

Martin would succeed Gary Rowett, who was appointed until the end of the 2025/26 campaign with the goal of keeping the Foxes in the Championship.

Unfortunately for Rowett he was unable to save Leicester as they finished 23rd in the Championship last term with 46 points, five away from safety.

Despite Martin’s pedigree having previously guided Southampton from the Championship to the Premier League, his mooted appointment is unlikely to go down well with the Foxes fanbase.

When Martin was previously linked to the post with Leicester consigned to relegation from the Premier League, supporters chanted: “Russell Martin, what a ******.”

Martin was ultimately not appointed after Leicester fell out of the Premier League, with Marti Cifuentes handed the reins.

However, Cifuentes lasted half of the 2025/26 Championship season as the Spaniard was axed with the Foxes sitting 14th in the table.

How Martin could grant Foxes owner’s wish for an on-pitch ‘identity’

The final say will ultimately lie with Leicester chairman and owner Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, better known as Top.

One element in Martin’s favour is his distinct style of play, which leans heavily on dominating possession.

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It aligns with Top’s desire for the Foxes to have an ‘identity’ on the field, something he referenced in an interview with British media in January and was evident when Enzo Maresca was in charge for the 2023/24 season where they won the Championship.

“We have to get back to the identity of Leicester, what type of football we should play and what players we should bring,” Top said.

“When changing the manager a lot of times, it’s not nice. I’m not a fan of that. But the life of a manager is results-based, so we have to be ready to improve.

“I think it was so clear when we got Enzo [Maresca] on board what football we should play and the type of player we should bring in.”

Should Martin take on the role, it would mark his fifth job as a manager having previously worked at MK Dons, Swansea, Southampton and Rangers.

The 40-year-old had a chance to return to management late last year with Major League Soccer outfit Columbus Crew but ultimately turned down the role.

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Martin will be especially keen to put a disastrous stint at Rangers behind him.

He was dismissed with the Glaswegian giants sitting eighth in the Scottish Premiership.

Martin also holds the unfortunate honour of being Rangers’ shortest-serving permanent manager having been at the helm for just 123 days.