Leicester City first transfer 'decided' as Russell Martin factor considered

Russell Martin, or whoever is given the opportunity to manage Leicester City next season, has a big job on their hands to turn the Foxes around after their relegation from League One.

Over a month has passed since City's fate was sealed following an abysmal campaign. The third tier awaits for Leicester in August but there is plenty of work to do for the incoming manager before a ball is even kicked.

Martin is understood to be one of City's primary targets with The Telegraph reporting over the weekend that the former Southampton and Rangers boss was in advanced talks to move to the King Power Stadium.

Dutchman Rene Hake has also been mentioned as a potential candidate. Whatever happens over the next few days and weeks, one thing is certain and that's the significant renovation of the playing squad that is required.

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Much has been made about the futures of Abdul Fatawu, Ben Nelson and Jeremy Monga - all who have Premier League admirers - and the debate of which players will be allowed to leave, which ones will be pushed out the door and which could increase the funds with their sales.

There are some players that could easily stay at the King Power Stadium, but could also be allowed to leave. One of them is goalkeeper Jakub Stolarczyk. The goalkeeper, 25, has been at the club since 2017 and only just became a first-team regular last season.

Only nine goalkeepers conceded more than the City No.1 and he played the fewest number of league games (36) in that group of players. After missing four games in November due to injury, Stolarczyk was dropped for a further four fixtures following Marti Cifuentes' exit.

Gary Rowett brought him back into the squad at the end of February and he played a crucial part in the 2-0 victory over Bristol City - their first clean sheet since September. Asmir Begovic then came in for two games, crucially making a mistake in the 2-2 draw against Hull City, before the Pole returned for the final two.

Doubts over his ability to stop shots, come out for crosses and distribute the ball have all arisen throughout the season. Now, with the club in League One, there is an argument for him to move on for pastures new.

But are there any suitors? Yes. Polish top-division side Wieczysta Krakow are said to be keen on bringing him back to his native country nearly 10 years after his move to England. According to Tomaz Wlodarczyk of Meczyki, the Ekstraklasa side are interested in the goalkeeper this summer.

The report states that Wieczysta are aiming to strengthen their goalkeeping department and Stolarczyk is one of the candidates to do so. What that means for Leicester is that there are encouraging signs over potential interest.

But how certain is Stolarczyk's future at City? First of all, his contract in the Midlands runs for one more year. Yet the key deciding factor behind his future will rest on who King Power gives the reins to for the 2026/27 campaign.

Martin, the current favourite for the job, is obsessed with possession and recycling the ball. Gavin Bazunu was his goalkeeper at Southampton and he rapidly established himself as a ball-playing custodian, often playing passes into central midfield to attack.

That season, Southampton had the highest average possession in the Championship - more than Enzo Maresca's Leicester. Mads Hermansen ticked the box as that 'ball-playing goalkeeper' then but Stolarczyk hasn't produced the numbers necessarily needed to play out of the back.

Last season, the Foxes goalkeeper averaged a 67.1% pass completion rate. Bazunu, on the other hand, succeeded with 85.95% of his passes in the Saints' promotion season. It's a key principle in Martin's system but there is also the consideration of what Stolarczyk wants.

The goalkeeper has Premier League and Championship experience under his belt within his senior career. At the age of 25, spending a season in League One and potentially leaving with no contract next summer isn't likely to be at the top of his wishlist.

Should an offer come in that offers him the chance to play regular top-flight football back in Poland, the decision may be out of Leicester's hands. Consider Martin's potential preference, it could be the most-obvious transfer to play out this summer.

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