Ruud van Nistelrooy is seeking talks with Leicester City’s hierarchy to ensure they are “aligned” over squad-building plans for next season.
Van Nistelrooy’s side look likely to return to the Championship after Wolverhampton Wanderers, 17th in the Premier League, opened up a 12-point gap over 19th-place Leicester this week with just eight games remaining.
It will be the club’s second relegation in three seasons with many of the current squad involved in both demotions and a lot of work will be required to get the squad into shape for another promotion push, especially with the financial restrictions Leicester could face which may force them to sell key assets.
“I think it’s very important to be aligned on that with the club,” Van Nistelrooy, who stressed he want to see out this campaign, said when asked if he had the hunger to remain as manager into 2025-26.
“We have to find out over the coming weeks because, of course, coming in December and how the winter window went (Leicester only signed defender Woyo Coulibaly, because of profit and sustainability rule [PSR] concerns), taking it into the new season and the challenges we face, it’s very important for me to be aligned and what the possibilities are there.
“That alignment has to take place.”
Asked when that decision needed to be made, the 48-year-old added: “It needs to be sorted yesterday.” And when asked if he would seek talks in the coming weeks, he replied: “I take my responsibility.”
Leicester must learn from last summer
Many of the problems Leicester have faced this season have stemmed from a disrupted summer, with the loss of manager Enzo Maresca to Chelsea and the protracted search for his successor Steve Cooper, who lasted just 12 games.
The pre-season plans were changed and Cooper had different ideas to Maresca over summer recruitment, which proved difficult because of the threat of a PSR sanction.
Leicester cannot afford another messy, muddled preparation for next season and the first decision that has to be made is who will be the manager for next season? If Van Nistelrooy is to be that man, despite losing 14 of his last 15 games in charge, then Leicester should press ahead now with plans involving him.
If not, the situation should be resolved as quickly as possible and preparations must begin for next season.
(ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images)