Leicester City man returns from EFL loan spell after promotion
The official website of Mansfield Town, where Lewis Brunt was on loan, has verified that the defender for Leicester City is back.
The 23-year-old was granted permission by Leicester City to temporarily join the Nottinghamshire team in the summer of last year. He later assisted the Stags, along with Stockport County and Wrexham, in earning automatic promotion from League Two.
Birmingham native Brunt played regularly for Nigel Clough’s team at Field Mill and went on to make 40 appearances across all competitions, 34 of which were in the league. He also contributed two goals from the back line.
As they prepare for life in League One, Mansfield Town, one of the newest sides in the Football League to release their retained list, has revealed that Brunt has returned to the King Power Stadium.
With reference to Brunt, Leicester City must make a significant decision before the upcoming season.
After winning the Championship, the Foxes have returned to the Premier League, where they will now be joined by Ipswich Town.
Given the wealth of choices available to them at his position, Brunt’s chances of making Enzo Maresca’s starting lineup the following season are minimal, although another exit is not completely implausible.
He began his professional career at Aston Villa and advanced through the Midlands team’s academy.
During his time at Villa Park, the center-back never played for the senior team. Instead, he was loaned to Gloucester City in the non-league to gain some experience before leaving on a permanent basis in 2021.
He was signed by Leicester City on a free transfer, and the Foxes have used him twice since.
As they get ready for the third tier, it’s unclear if Mansfield Town would be open to having him return for a second stint. He was one of the first names on the team sheet and fit right in with their group.
Leicester City is under no obligation to allow him to depart anytime soon because his contract expires in 2025, unless they believe any incoming bids are too excellent to turn down.
The Stags have announced on their retained list that Lucas Akins, Ollie Clarke, James Gale, George Maris, Stephen McLaughlin, Rhys Oates, Stephen Quinn, Taylor Anderson, George Cooper, and Owen Mason are still in negotiations. Anthony Hartigan, Callum Johnson, John-Joe O’Toole, and Louie Turner have been released.
George Williams, McKeal Abdullah, Charlie Carter, Finn Flanagan, Jakub Kruszynski, and Darien Wauchope have all had their options activated.
