Leicester City Manager Russell Martin Prepares for Departures
Leicester City manager Russell Martin says the club must brace itself for more departures as he reshapes a squad suddenly dealing with the realities of League One.
Wout Faes and Stephy Mavididi were the most notable absentees from the matchday group for Saturday’s season-opening draw at Notts County. Both had featured in pre-season, with Mavididi starting the EFL Cup win over Northampton just a week earlier, but neither even made the bench at Meadow Lane.
That omission felt telling. To Martin, it reflects a club in transition.
“We're navigating and managing change in the best way,” he told BBC Radio Leicester, making it clear the situation is being handled carefully behind the scenes. “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.”
Interest in both players is strong. Leicester have already rejected bids for Faes and Mavididi, and negotiations are ongoing. Martin does not expect a quick resolution.
“We've turned down bids for both, but that's ongoing, so we'll see, but I'm not sure any will go soon,” he said. “And if they stay, no problem, we'd be really happy with both being here, but with the level of interest that we have…”
For now, they sit on the periphery while Martin builds a group he knows he can rely on beyond the transfer deadline.
Late blow exposes young Foxes’ nerves
On the pitch, Leicester came within nine minutes of starting life in League One with a statement win, only to be pegged back by an 81st-minute equaliser at Notts County.
What looked like a solid away victory slipped away, and Martin pinned that shift on nerves and inexperience as his young side retreated under pressure.
“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 pattern was clear. Leicester stopped trusting themselves in possession. Passes grew cautious, touches a little heavier, and Notts County sensed encouragement.
“It's the only frustration,” Martin admitted. “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 equaliser underlined exactly that. Leicester invited pressure, and eventually they paid for it.
Yet Martin refused to dwell solely on the late setback. He pointed instead to long stretches where his side controlled the game and showed flashes of what they could become.
“There was a lot to like,” he insisted, highlighting not just the performance but the make-up of the team itself.
Youth, promise and a need for know-how
Among the positives was a debut for forward Admir Bristric, who came off the bench as Martin leaned heavily on youthful energy in attack.
“I'm really happy with the group we have, genuinely,” he said. “They're really young, you saw that at the end. With Admir, the front three was really young.”
That youth brings pace, fearlessness and upside. It also brings exactly the kind of “tension” Martin referenced in those closing stages.
So while Leicester continue to trim and reshape the squad, the head coach knows what the next layer of recruitment must look like.
“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,” he admitted. “So we'll see, but there's nothing imminent in the next day or two.”
The message is clear. Leicester’s rebuild is under way, the exits have not finished, and the kids are being trusted. The question now is how quickly Martin can bolt enough experience around them to turn anxious late draws into ruthless League One wins.
