Russell Martin is reportedly close to being appointed as Rangers boss, taking him off the market should Leicester City seek to replace Ruud van Nistelrooy.
Last week it was reported by several outlets that Martin was on the brink of succeeding van Nistelrooy at the King Power Stadium.
Now, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano says that Martin is close to being named Rangers manager and that he’s “accepted the project” at Ibrox.
Since doubts around van Nistelrooy’s future emerged, Martin has been one of the favourites to take over.
He helped Southampton to promotion via the play-offs and operates with a possession-based style, similar but perhaps more extreme than that used by Enzo Maresca the last time City worked their way out of the Championship.
In the Premier League, Martin’s style struggled to get Southampton results and he was sacked after picking up just five points from 16 matches.
That made him a free agent, which may have made him more attractive to City. With Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) charges hanging over them, and with the club close to the wire for allowed losses for the current accounting year, an out-of-work manager may have been preferable to one who would cost a compensation fee.
But City fans, as a rule, were not in favour of appointing Martin, and so news that he is heading north of the border will be greeted with relief.
During the club’s final game of the season at Bournemouth, City fans chanted disparagingly about Martin, with director of football Jon Rudkin there to hear their thoughts.
Rangers have been on the hunt for a new manager since it was confirmed that interim boss Barry Ferguson would not continue in the role.
They have also been linked with Davide Ancelotti, son of Carlo, who has been his dad’s assistant at Bayern Munich, Napoli, Everton, and Real Madrid.
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Get your special Jamie Vardy edition of the Leicester Mercury
Jamie Vardy souvenir edition of the Leicester Mercury
It was certainly a fairytale ending to Jamie Vardy's Leicester City career - netting his 200th goal in his final match for the club.
To celebrate, we are launching a this special edition of the Leicester Mercury where we look back at the striker's amazing career - his journey from non-league to England international, his greatest goals and where he stands in the Foxes' list of all-time greats.
We also revisit the trophy-winning campaigns - the 2021 FA Cup and, of course, the 2016 Premier League title.
And there are plenty of tributes from those who played with him, against him and worked with him.
Jamie Vardy, it's certainly been a party!
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