Ruud van Nistelrooy watching his Leicester City team
Ruud van Nistelrooy is set to leave Leicester City following relegation
Ruud van Nistelrooy will leave Leicester City in the coming days with Russell Martin, the former Southampton head coach, poised to replace him following the club's relegation from the Premier League.
Van Nistelrooy, 48, was appointed as Steve Cooper's successor back in November following a brief but positive interim stint in charge at Manchester United. But the Dutchman ultimately failed to preserve the Foxes' top-flight status after overseeing just five wins from 26 league matches during his chastening tenure.
The Leicester chief has gone public over his plans for next season in a bid to get the green light from the club's hierarchy to lead a promotion push in the Championship.
But a new report from The Mail claims that Van Nistelrooy will depart imminently with Martin in pole position to replace him after holding talks with Leicester's powerbrokers.
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Martin, 39, has been out of work since he was relieved of his duties by Southampton back in December. The Saints were also unable to achieve an upturn in results, though, and will join Leicester back in the Championship next season.
While the report outlines that a deal for Martin to succeed Van Nistelrooy is not yet agreed, it notes that a deal is likely to be concluded in the coming days.
It remains unclear whether or not Van Nistelrooy will take charge of Leicester's final game of the season on Sunday, when they travel to Bournemouth.
Southampton boss Russell Martin
Former Southampton head coach Russell Martin has held talks about replacing Van Nistelrooy
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While Van Nistelrooy has been open about his thoughts on next season, he made it clear that the club hierarchy had given him little in the way of assurances over his future, admitting he was none the wiser as to whether he would continue in his post or not.
"I know what my plan is to bring the club back but I am waiting on alignment," he said last month after relegation was confirmed. "The quicker the better for the football club."
It emerged earlier this week that Leicester have been referred to an independent commission by the Premier League over an alleged profit and sustainability rule breach relating to the 2023-24 campaign, when the club were in the Championship.
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