Russell Martin's message to Manchester United is simple: don't bother. The Leicester City manager made clear that if United director of football Jason Wilcox — a former colleague at Southampton — came calling about 18-year-old Louis Page, he'd be told exactly where to go.
"Obviously, I know the director of football at Manchester United very well," Martin told Sky Sports. "So we haven't actually spoken with Louis because he probably knows what I'd say to him and tell him to go away."
That's a pretty firm no.
Why Leicester aren't budging
Page isn't some academy prospect who's yet to prove himself. He won EFL Apprentice of the Year last season, has 21 senior appearances for the Foxes, and featured in their Carabao Cup win over Northampton at the weekend. He signed professional terms last September, which means any club — United included — would need to negotiate a real transfer fee. This isn't a compensation case.
Leicester's reluctance makes sense beyond just the player's talent. They already lost 17-year-old forward Jeremy Monga to Manchester City this summer. Letting a second highly-rated teenager walk out of the King Power Stadium in the same window, while adjusting to life in League One, would be a very difficult sell to their fanbase.
Martin's stance is also the right one tactically. Page is exactly the kind of player a relegated club needs to build around — young, homegrown, already match-hardened. United, Arsenal, and Aston Villa are all reportedly interested, which tells you something about the level of attention he's attracting.
What this means for United's rebuild
For United, the pursuit of a League One teenager reflects where they actually are right now — scouring the lower leagues for value rather than competing at the top of the market. Page may well be worth the attention, but Leicester have given them their answer.
Martin added: "Until something comes in that is really brilliant for the club, the player, and everyone is happy, then Louis stays." Considering Leicester's position and Page's importance to their promotion push, that threshold is going to be very high.
