The fixtures are out for the new League One season, as things suddenly become very real for Leicester City.
Up until this point, the majority of the discussions involving the Foxes was transfer talk, and speculation over who would replace Gary Rowett.
Now, with Russell Martin positioned at the helm, and the outlook of Leicester's clearer with the fixture schedule in place, it's really not long until the Midlands giants get their third-tier promotion pursuit underway in August.
Leicester fans will be hoping that signings begin to take place, with less than two months to wait until the opening day fixture versus Notts County, as Martin potentially stumbles upon his next Flynn Downes in one transfer foray.
Leicester remain interested in new midfielder
Martin will want a group of hardened League One individuals at his disposal who know what it takes to be a success in the testing division.
The Foxes would be fools not to go after Archie Collins in this regard, with the Peterborough United battler set to officially leave Posh at the close of June, having failed to agree a new contract.
Leicester's name has floated about as an onlooker for some time now, with the relegated giants once even looking at Darren Ferguson as a Rowett successor, who is Peterborough royalty.
More up-to-date reports suggest that the Midlands side is still in the hunt for the ex-Exeter City midfielder's services, with Leicester battling against fellow League One teams Oxford United and Sheffield Wednesday for his signature, alongside Portsmouth in the division above.
Just fresh off picking up seven assists for the Posh, despite their lowly finish in the overall league standings, it's clear that Collins fits the label of being an established third tier talent, with 174 career appearances in the taxing environment under his belt.
He will also tickle Martin's fancy, you imagine, with the Somerset-born ace perhaps becoming the Scotsman's next iteration of Downes, who he worked alongside at both Swansea City and Southampton.
He could be Martin's new Downes
Martin would regularly utilise Downes when situated in Wales and on the South Coast.
Crazily, when looking at his 292 career appearances to date, the 27-year-old has lined up under Martin a whopping 92 times, with nine goal contributions next to his name, alongside a promotion, when working in close proximity with the brand-new Foxes manager.
Of course, he won't be able to get his hands on the one-time West Ham United midfielder in League One, as Downes tries to lift the Saints up to the Premier League this coming season, so the 40-year-old will be on the hunt for the next best thing, and Collins looks as if he ticks the boxes.
Much like Downes, Collins is unlikely to hog the limelight if he arrives to the King Power shortly, with a modest 53 goal contributions from 381 appearances for Peterborough, Exeter, and Weston Super Mare. His counterpart only has ten goals and ten assists to shout about from his playing days to date.
Rather, like the Saints' number four, the soon-to-be free agent excels as the sort of player who dictates play from the middle of the park in an understated fashion.
It's only when you remove the on-the-ball quality of players like Downes and Collins from a game that you realise their classy nature, with the South Coast club amazingly only winning two of the ten league games he was absent from, during the 2023/24 campaign, when Martin was at the helm.
Posh would fail to pick up a win from the five league games he was out of action for during the 2024/25 season, so it's clear that both figures become key parts of the machine, without anyone overdoing the praise.
With Martin looking to get rid of some egotistical faces, too, such as Harry Winks, adding in Collins would be the perfect tonic to get hard-working players back into the King Power ranks, as promotion is hopefully instantly won.
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