3 Ruud van Nistelrooy replacements Leicester City must consider if he leaves as EFL return beckons | OneFootball

The managers Leicester City could look to if Ruud van Nistelrooy departs ahead of impending relegation

Ruud van Nistelrooy’s time at Leicester City could come to an end this summer with the club heading towards Premier League relegation.

The Foxes were 16th in the table when the Dutchman took over, but they are now second from bottom with only seven games remaining.

Leicester lost 3-0 to Newcastle United on Monday evening, leaving them 15 points adrift of safety with only 21 points left to play for.

The club are heading for a return to the Championship, and Don Goodman has exclusively told FLW that he feels a change in manager will result.

Here we look at three replacements Leicester could look at for Van Nistelrooy, as the Championship beckons…

Gary O’Neil

Gary O’Neil is currently available after departing Wolves earlier this season following a poor start to the new campaign.

However, he’s proven himself as a solid Premier League level manager and would be a good appointment if he can be convinced to drop down to the Championship.

He managed to keep Bournemouth in the top flight when they were promoted in 2022, a feat that is looking increasingly impressive as more and more sides struggle to stay in the division after one year.

The 41-year-old also guided Wolves to a 14th place finish in the league in the 2023/24 campaign, earning 46 points, keeping them well clear of the relegation battle.

If Leicester want to come straight back up with this squad, then O’Neil will give them a good chance at achieving that.

Sean Dyche

Sean Dyche is also available after leaving Everton earlier this season, and would be a real coup for the Foxes if they can convince him to join.

The 53-year-old has an excellent record from his time at Burnley and the Toffees, twice achieving promotion to the Premier League.

He over-performed expectations constantly with the Clarets before ultimately leaving in 2023 with the team on the verge of relegation.

Dyche will make Leicester hard to beat, compact and hard-working, which fans will appreciate after such a dismal season under Van Nistelrooy and Steve Cooper.

His record also speaks for itself, and is another potential appointment that would give Leicester a good chance at earning promotion straight away next year.

Russell Martin

While Russell Martin’s style of play would be wildly different for the Foxes compared to the other two options on this list, this summer seems like a good opportunity for the club to reshape the squad if they want.

Martin earned promotion with Southampton last year playing good, attacking football that supporters would love to see after their struggles in front of goal this year.

The team is in need of a refresh, and Martin could be an ideal candidate to oversee this as he has a clear idea of how he wants the team to play.

While there will be some reservations over how his Southampton side fared in the Championship, Ivan Juric’s struggles does highlight deficiencies with the squad that held the club back.

It is also not an immediate issue given Leicester’s goal next year will be promotion straight back from the Championship.