adminLeicester City’s 2026/27 campaign was supposed to be about putting the club’s recent struggles behind them and building a squad capable of securing an immediate return to the Championship.
After back-to-back relegations, Russell Martin has been tasked with rebuilding the Foxes and restoring some much-needed stability at the King Power Stadium.
The opening weeks of the season, however, have shown that promotion will not come easily. Leicester began with a draw against Notts County, followed by defeat to Burton Albion, an EFL Cup exit to Ipswich Town and a goalless draw at MK Dons before finally recording their first League One victory with a 2-0 win over Plymouth Argyle.
Martin has made changes to his squad throughout the summer, with several new faces arriving while a number of players have been allowed to move on. But one of the biggest questions surrounding the squad has been what would happen to a senior defender whose future at the club had appeared increasingly uncertain.
Wout Faes has been completely frozen out of Leicester City’s first-team plans following a turbulent summer transfer window.
The 28-year-old Belgian international centre-back spent the second half of last season on loan at AS Monaco and returned to Leicester with his future already in serious doubt.
Having experienced two Premier League relegations in three seasons since joining the club from Reims in 2022, Faes was widely expected to leave during the summer.
His relationship with Martin and the club’s hierarchy appeared to deteriorate further, while the defender was left out of competitive action as Leicester explored potential options for his departure.
A late move to Premier League side West Ham United was reportedly one possibility, but the proposed transfer failed to materialise before the English deadline. That left Faes in an increasingly difficult position, with Leicester still needing to decide how to handle his situation.
Martin subsequently admitted that Faes could still leave despite the English transfer window closing, with clubs in countries such as Greece and Portugal remaining able to conduct business until September 15.
The Leicester manager also revealed that there had been moves that looked “really likely” to happen before falling through for various reasons.
Now, with Leicester submitting their 25-man League One squad, Faes has been left out of the registered group, further underlining the uncertainty surrounding his future at the King Power Stadium.
The development comes after a summer in which the defender’s future has been the subject of intense speculation and follows his reported desire to find a new club rather than remain with Leicester in League One.
With some European transfer windows still open, Leicester could yet find a solution for the Belgian international. A move to Belgian sister club OH Leuven has been suggested as one possible route, potentially giving Faes the opportunity to revive his career and return to regular football in his home country.
For now, though, his omission from Leicester’s 25-man squad leaves his future firmly up in the air as Martin continues to build a team focused on securing promotion back to the Championship.
admin
