Rangers plot Leicester City transfer move after Russell Martin appointment | OneFootball

Rangers' new boss is using his knowledge of the Championship to bolster his squad up in Glasgow.

Conor Coady is at the centre of transfer talks between Leicester City and Rangers as Russell Martin looks to bring Championship talent to Ibrox.

Managers are always going to lean towards what they know rather than going for an uncertain option in the transfer window. No better example of that is Rangers' desire to sign Southampton midfielder Flynn Downes, who their new boss has worked with both at St Mary's and at Swansea City.

A deal for Downes isn't too realistic a prospect. Saints only bought him from West Ham United last summer for £18 million and won't sell for anything close to the £10 million price tag that has been quoted, according to the Daily Echo. Options from Leicester, another relegated side, may be more readily available.

Rangers make contact over potential Conor Coady deal

Pete O'Rourke has said that talks have begun between the Foxes and Rangers over a deal for Coady. City's 32-year-old defender was part of Enzo Maresca's side that won the Championship in the 2023/24 campaign.

With one year left on his current deal, he is a much more attainable asset for Rangers, whose budget for this summer is reported to be close to the £20 million mark.

Martin, who was appointed by the Glaswegian side last week, was reportedly close to joining Leicester. The Daily Mail reported that the ex-Saints head coach was going to be appointed by the Foxes to replace Ruud Van Nistelrooy. That turned out not to be the case, though; Van Nistelrooy remains Leicester's boss despite strong reports stating that he will be axed this summer.

Leicester have less of a reason to sell Conor Coady than before

Coady became a more prominent figure for the Foxes once they regained their Premier League status. He started 19 times in his 22 league appearances last term, more than doubling the number of first XI showings he made in the prior title-winning campaign.

His uptick in usage gives Leicester a bit of a bargaining chip to use in negotiations with the Scottish Premiership side. Although he is closing in on only having 12 months left on his deal, City can argue that he will be a more important cog in their machine next season and therefore have less reason to sell.

Any move for the defender may be stalled until Leicester come to a firm conclusion on their managerial situation. Despite a number of names being linked with replacing Van Nistelrooy, Martin formerly being one of them, there is not an obvious plan of action for if they pull the trigger on the Dutchman following his failure to keep the side up.