Martin has agreed a deal with the Foxes, who are the early bookmakers’ favourites to be promoted, to take over as head coach in League One after the club was relegated from the Championship last season.

Ex-U’s head coach Rowett took Leicester down in 23rd place after being sacked by Oxford back in December.

Rowett had taken over from Marti Cifuentes who was sacked in January following a 2-1 defeat to Matt Bloomfield’s Yellows.

Ex-Leicester City manager Gary Rowett (Image: Richard Sellers/PA Wire)

READ MORE: League One transfer news round-up including EFL rivals

READ MORE: Cult hero Andy Whing relives chaotic life at Oxford United

Former Queens Park Rangers boss Cifuentes had Leicester in 14th at the time and six points away from the play-off places but the club were then hit with a six-point deduction in February for breaching EFL financial rules.

Leicester’s new man charge has been out of work since being sacked by Scottish giants Rangers in October after a poor start to the Scottish Premiership season.

Rangers manager Russell Martin with Connor Barron (Image: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire)

Martin previously took Southampton to the Premier League via the Championship play-offs in 2023/24.

He began his managerial career with MK Dons after retiring with the club before moving to Swansea City in 2021 where he spent two years.

The 40-year-old was a defender in his playing days, appearing in 586 matches across his career, 309 of which were for Norwich City.

Whing, who was a key figure at Oxford United under Chris Wilder and Michael Appleton and went on to coach the youth team, led the Puritans to promotion to the National League North for the first time in their history, winning the Southern League Premier Division Central title.

After keeping Banbury in the sixth tier in their first season, the former boss resigned in May 2023.

Whing went on to become to manager of his local club Solihull Moors, guiding them to the National League play-off final before joining Barrow in League Two.

After being sacked by the Bluebirds in December, the 41-year-old is now boss of National League North outfit Brackley Town.

“I’d been there for two-and-a-half or three years, and the rise of the club was unbelievable,” the ex-Coventry City and Brighton & Hove Albion defender exclusively told the Oxford Mail.

Ex-Banbury United manager Andy Whing (Image: Julie Hawkins)

“A new stand, went from 300 or 400 fans to 1500 or 1600, 2500 at FA Cup games. It went through the roof and I wanted to keep that going and I just felt they couldn’t, or they wanted to slow down. I thought, if we slow down, we’ll go back down to where we’ve just come from, we need to keep going.

“They were too slow with certain things and I just knew that we were going to struggle next season, going to get relegated.

“One thing was how that would look personally on me and I didn’t want that to happen to the club so I just felt it was the right time for me to go. It was a big gamble because I didn’t have anything lined up.”

READ MORE: League One transfer news round-up including EFL rivals

READ MORE: Cult hero Andy Whing relives chaotic life at Oxford United

READ MORE: Three Oxford United stars set for breakout League One season

The Banbury job was Whing’s first as manager of a club.

“When I was a youth team manager [at Oxford], we’d sent a few youth team lads out on loan to Banbury so I kind of knew of the club.

Cult hero Andy Whing relives chaotic life at Oxford United (Image: Newsquest)

READ MORE: Cult hero Andy Whing relives chaotic life at Oxford United

“It happened out the blue really. I’d left Oxford, I had a stint at Kidderminster, a stint at Coventry Under-18s, a stint at Hereford. None of them really worked out.

“I was just working with my mates at a sofa warehouse, didn’t know where to go next, didn’t have a clue.

“I got phone call out of the blue asking if I wanted the Banbury job. And I just thought, it’s a great opportunity, it’s in Oxfordshire and I’ve got contacts in Oxfordshire. I’ve got the football club down the road who I can rely on to send me loan players, which they did do…anything I needed I could always get from them.

“I thought it was a perfect fit [and] luckily I got the job. In the end, it was an absolute perfect fit.”

Oxford United are yet complete their first signing with many other clubs already securing new additions before the window opened.

Ex-Oxford striker Will Goodwin, who was one of 10 players released by the club last month, recently secured a move to League Two side Gillingham.

The U’s have been linked with a number of players despite no incomings arriving as of yet.

Will Goodwin signs for Gillingham (Image: Gillingham)

The rest of the division has been busy, however.

Perhaps the biggest rumour hitting the division is the closing in on of Russell Martin by Leicester City.

The Foxes are looking for a new manager after suffering Championship relegation under former U’s head coach Gary Rowett.

The BBC has reported that Leicester are close to appointing former Rangers and Southampton boss Russell Martin as their new man in charge.

The 40-year-old has been out of work since being sacked by the Gers in October.

Ex-Rangers manager Russell Martin speaks with Rangers TV (Image: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire)

Luton Town boss and former Arsenal and England midfielder Jack Wilshere was previously linked but is reportedly committed to the Hatters.

Meanwhile, Oxford’s Thames Valley rivals Reading have tied down midfielder Andy Rinomhota for another season.

READ MORE: Cult hero Andy Whing relives chaotic life at Oxford United

READ MORE: Three Oxford United stars set for breakout League One season

The midfielder was hit with injury for the majority of last season but has signed a one-year extension with the Berkshire club.

Last season’s play-off semi-finalists Stevenage have brought in a name from a Premier League club.

22-year-old striker Olly Sanderson joins the club from Fulham having graduated from the Cottagers’ academy but did not make a first-team appearance for the Premier League outfit.

Sanderson previously spent time on loan at Oxford City, as well as Sutton United, Bradford City and Harrogate Town.

Last season he scored 19 goals for National League club Woking.

Leyton Orient have secured their first signing of the summer in Tony Springett from Norwich City.

The 23-year-old joins on a two-year deal after being released by the Canaries.

Experienced EFL striker Ashley Fletcher has joined Huddersfield Town from Blackpool.

Blackpool’s Ashley Fletcher signs for Huddersfield (Image: Cody Froggatt/PA Wire)

The 30-year-old scored 32 goals in two seasons for the Seasiders.

Newly-promoted side Cambridge United have signed striker Callum Stead from Barnet, whom the U’s are set to face in pre-season at The Hive.

Peterborough United have secured the services of Walsall defender Evan Weir.

The Irish full back joins the Posh on a three-year contract after not being offered a new deal by the Saddlers.

Another Walsall man is headed for League One with Wigan Athletic signing wing back Connor Barrett.

The 24-year-old was named in the League Two Team of the Season in 2024/25.