Leicester City Football Club have now appointed Russell Martin as its manager. The former Rangers, Swansea City, Southampton and MK Dons head coach is already getting down to business, as the very British idiom goes.
​In addition to the boss being personally installed, he welcomed back a host of first-team and quality youth players to the club's Seagrave training ground. The group is comprised of Hamza Choudhury, Luke Thomas, Stephy Mavididi, Oliver Skipp, Bobby De Cordova-Reid, Will Alves, Kevon Gray, Louis Page, Jake Evans, Jayden Joseph, Henry Cartwright, Sammy Braybrooke, Tom Wilson-Brown and Bade Aluko.
While those men were confirmed to be in with a chance of competing in the new setup next season, many others have departed King Power Stadium. The list of exits includes Patson Daka, Jordan Ayew, Ricardo Pereira, Jamaal Lascelles, Wanya Marcal, Jordan James, Aaron Ramsey, Joe Aribo, Dujuan Richards, Divine Mukasa, Jahmari Lindsay, Donohue, Alfie Fisken, Toby Onanaye, Chris Popov and Olaoluwa Omobolaji.
Surely Russell Martin would have relished the opportunity to permanently sign one or two of those released loanees who are returning to their parent clubs. James and Mukasa, in particular, appear destined for Premier League or top European football.
As anyone can tell, the Leicester roster is currently quite thin, with a concerning absence of senior centre-forwards. Neither Patson Daka nor Jordan Ayew remain on the books to address this glaring deficiency; not that they were adequate!
Beyond that problematic vacuum, there exists a potentially significant contract crisis brewing on Filbert Way. 11 contemporary City stars have deals expiring in almost exactly one year, placing certain mildly valuable assets at risk of being sold simply so the ownership can recoup funds.
11 Expiring Leicester City deals
Hamza Choudhury is perhaps one of most notable individuals currently facing such uncertainty, having previously been connected with transfers to Sheffield United and Birmingham City. Likewise, Denmark international Jannik Vestergaard remains a figure frequently linked with an overdue exit from the club.
Ben Nelson, the competent and composed defender, also finds his agreement fading, alerting clubs such as Manchester United, Chelsea and Torino to his availability. Furthermore, generally disappointing goalkeeper Jakub Stolarczyk may be sacrificed for financial and contractual reasons.
Bobby De Cordova-Reid, who could be deadly in League One, isn't guaranteed to stay; neither is Fran Vieites. Disgraceful professional Harry Winks and the out-of-favour Wout Faes are definite contenders to depart given their respective situations.
"Loan returnees Sammy Braybrooke, Henry Cartwright and Nathaniel Opoku also enter the final year of their contracts"
Finally, the club must determine if they will retain or allow the departures of Sammy Braybrooke, Nathaniel Opoku and Henry Cartwright. The highly-regarded Braybrooke represents a key decision for the new regime, and should be kept.
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