Russell Martin to 'unfortunately' snub Leicester City? Burnley threat has emerged | OneFootball

FLW's Leicester fan pundit shares their thoughts on Burnley's emergence in the race for Russell Martin

Leicester City will be playing third-tier football for just the second time in their history next season, but have yet to decide who will lead them into the next campaign.

The Foxes' story over the past decade has been well documented at this stage.

Lifting the Premier League title a decade ago despite incredible odds, City also lifted the FA Cup just over five years ago, but have now suffered three relegations in four years, confirming their slide into League One.

Neither Marti Cifuentes nor Gary Roweet could keep them afloat in the second-tier, and as a result, they will be playing third-tier football for just the second time in their entire history, having previously done so back in the 2008/09 season.

That year, Nigel Pearson comfortably guided them back to the Championship, as the Foxes hope for a similar fate next time around.

A head coach has yet to be decided, as with Russell Martin emerging as the preferred candidate, the club are in advanced talks with the former defender to take charge at the King Power Stadium, but recent news may well have put a spanner in the works.

Russell Martin identified as a potential candidate for the Burnley job amid advanced talks with Leicester City

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Martin was most recently in charge of Rangers, though his time in Scotland was only brief, winning just five of his 17 games in charge, and he has been out of work for eight months.

The Scot began his coaching career with MK Dons, before spending time in charge of both Swansea City and Southampton, the latter of whom he guided to the Premier League in 2024.

Now, with Martin looking increasingly likely to take the Leicester job, a potential roadblock has emerged, as Rudy Galetti has reported via X that Burnley is interested in bringing the 40-year-old to Turf Moor instead.

Football League World's Leicester fan pundit, Jamie Preston, has shared their thoughts on Burnley emerging as a contender for Martin's signature, and what their interest could mean for Leicester's pursuit.

Jamie told FLW: "Russell Martin to Burnley, now, that's very interesting.

"I think Russell Martin might be more interested in a Championship job if it became available; it just depends how far down the line he's in talks with Leicester.

"Does he want to gazump Leicester? I could see that happening. The amount of problems we've got with financial problems, the amount of players leaving, and the amount of players got to come in. Yeah, I could see it happening, unfortunately.

"As much as I keep saying I don't want Russell Martin, we need a manager ASAP to get things sorted for the start of the season.

"The players come back in three weeks, four weeks, I think it is. Fixtures come out soon. The season starts soon. We need someone in ASAP. And if it's not Russell Martin, well, hopefully we've got a second choice.

"But like I say, I can see Russell Martin preferring a Championship club to a League One club."

Burnley's interest in Russell Martin could be bad news for Leicester City

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With Leicester yet to have appointed a new permanent boss ahead of their League One campaign, there remains a lot up in the air around the King Power Stadium right now.

Financially, this relegation is cataclysmic for the Foxes, who will be forced to contend with the ramifications for years to come, but even in the short term, it presents a heap of problems.

The wage bill was one of the highest in the Championship last season, and will almost certainly be the highest in League One history if they are unable to shift some of their top earners off their books this summer.

Whether the prospect of taking the step down to League One is something that entices Martin remains to be seen, though with Burnley's financial predicament a much healthier one than Leicester's right now, despite their own relegation, the Clarets are almost certainly a much more attractive prospect.

Should Martin choose Turf Moor as his next destination, it essentially puts Leicester back to square one and undoes days and weeks of work, which is something they simply cannot afford in their predicament.