Leicester City Boss Russell Martin Prepares for Squad Reshaping
Leicester City boss Russell Martin says the club must brace itself for more exits as he reshapes a squad built for the Premier League into one that can handle the grind of League One.
The reality hit home on opening day. Wout Faes and Stephy Mavididi, both prominent in pre-season, were nowhere to be seen in the matchday squad for the 1-1 draw at Notts County.
Faes, the Belgian defender, and winger Mavididi had been involved throughout the summer. Mavididi even started the EFL Cup win over Northampton just a week earlier. Then came Meadow Lane, and both were out of the picture.
That omission was no accident.
Faes and Mavididi on the brink
Martin made it clear he is planning for a future that may not include either player once the transfer window shuts.
"I think we're navigating and managing change in the best way," he told BBC Radio Leicester, laying out the delicate balance between preparing for departures and maintaining unity.
"They've been really respectful, I think we're treating them with respect. Whilst they're here, they train, they're involved. We just feel that for us, we have to be prepared to be without them."
The interest is real. So are the bids.
"And if they stay, no problem, we'd be really happy with both being here, but with the level of interest that we have. We've turned down bids for both, but that's ongoing, so we'll see, but I'm not sure any will go soon."
Leicester are not forcing them out, but they are clearly future-proofing. Martin cannot build his League One project around players who may be gone in a few weeks.
Late blow at Meadow Lane
On the pitch, Leicester came within nine minutes of opening their League One campaign with a statement win, only to be pegged back by an 81st-minute equaliser.
The goal stung. Not just because it cost two points, but because of what it revealed.
Martin pinned the late collapse on anxiety and "tension" running through a young squad still learning how to control games.
"I think that's the biggest learning for us," he said. "If we don't look after each other with the ball like we didn't in the last 20 minutes, the game becomes like that and it doesn't suit us."
The final stages turned messy. Leicester lost their rhythm, their composure, and then their lead.
"It's the only frustration and it's because we have a couple of moments that make us anxious and we don't play with anywhere near enough intensity and detail with the ball in our half and it keeps coming back."
The ball kept returning, the pressure kept rising, and eventually Leicester cracked.
Youth, promise and a missing piece
Amid the frustration, Martin refused to let the narrative drift into doom. He stressed there was "a lot to like" about the display, not least the energy of his young forwards.
One of them, Admir Bristric, came off the bench for his debut and helped form a raw but lively front three.
"I'm really happy with the group we have, genuinely," Martin said. "They're really young, you saw that at the end. With Admir, the front three was really young."
That youth excites him. It also exposes a gap.
"So we could probably (do with) a couple of guys that have been there and done it to help us manage a game in that way, so we'll see, but there's nothing imminent in the next day or two."
Leicester stand at an awkward crossroads: senior players attracting bids, a head coach leaning into a youthful rebuild, and a division that punishes naivety. The departures may not be immediate, the arrivals not imminent — but the reshaping has clearly begun.
