Reports seem to be suggesting that Russell Martin will be handed the managerial reins after Gary Rowett officially leaves the Leicester City dug-out.
Despite only collecting one league win in the Rangers hot seat, which made him public enemy number one at Ibrox, he is the frontrunner at this point, having previously been tipped to be manager of the King Power outfit in 2025, as well.
Leicester could be better placed to be patient, here, and not put all their eggs in the Martin basket, so to speak, with Dave Challinor now out of work, after leaving Stockport County.
Challinor's exit at Stockport County
In this day and age, managers are lucky if they can survive a full season without being sacked.
Challinor certainly went against this notion that managers have short life expectancies in charge of the Hatters, having lasted 268 games in the Edgeley Park dug-out, before being given his marching orders at the start of June.
The 50-year-old would last seven memorable campaigns in charge of the Greater Manchester side before it was revealed that the much-loved servant would leave the side by mutual consent after Stockport lost the League One playoff final.
Noting that the "time felt right", it will be interesting to see when Challinor next dips his toes into management, with the experienced boss being heavily linked to the still vacant Blackburn Rovers job post.
If Leicester want to be immediately in the promotion reckoning, they should look to appoint the lower league expert, instead of handing the job to Martin, with the 50-year-old undoubtedly leaving his long-term employers with his head held high.
He could be a better option than Martin
Unlike Martin, who would leave both Southampton and Rangers with relief from both sets of fans, considering he had only managed to collect two league victories across his final two seasons, Challinor would leave Stockport with an immense tinge of sadness in the air.
Instead of leaving on bad terms, the Chester-born manager would leave more off the back of not wanting to overstay his welcome at Edgeley Park, having taken Stockport from the National League to League One under his expert management. Arguably, he had taken the Hatters as far as he could, with a new challenge now needed.
Leicester might well be the reinvigorating challenge he desires, as Leicester aim to rise up the leagues, like Stockport managed under his watchful eye.
His extensive managerial career really does speak for itself, with a colossal 314 wins under his belt from 615 matches. 49 of those have fallen in the division Leicester will reside in next season, from only 97 clashes.
Challinor's managerial stats:
Stat | Challinor |
|---|---|
Games managed | 615 |
Wins | 314 |
Draws | 139 |
Losses | 162 |
Promotions achieved | 7x |
To add context, Martin has just 24 wins at the punishing level next to his name, and unlike Challinor who has been in the belly of the beast recently, the bruised 40-year-old hasn't managed this far down the EFL since 2020.
Pulling off a sensational seven promotions as a manager, who started in the depths of non-league with AFC Fylde and was just on the brink of a League One success story, Challinor would be desperate to be a success with Leicester, in trying to put the club back on the map, but also to finally taste Championship action.
It might well be deemed as a far-fetched pursuit, with Blackburn already gifting him a chance to manage in the second tier if the Riversiders were to hand him the vacancy.
Yet, Leicester could also be deemed an attractive proposition for a manager who has already restored pride to a sleeping giant in Stockport.
It would also be an appointment that sees Leicester broaden their horizons, instead of going down the anticipated route of Martin.
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