The 23-year-old has spent the season on loan at Mansfield playing a key part in their success as they earned promotion to the third tier for the first time in more than 20 years

Leicester City have opened talks with Mansfield Town over the permanent exit of defender Lewis Brunt. Mansfield manager Nigel Clough has said preliminary negotiations are under way over the 23-year-old, who spent this campaign on loan with the Stags as they clinched promotion to League One.

Brunt was a key man in their success too, and was awarded directors’ player of the season, while finishing runner-up in the players’ player of the season vote.

As such, Mansfield are keen to take Brunt back as they prepare for their first season in the third tier for more than 20 years. Transfer talks with City are now under way.

Clough said: “We have opened preliminary negotiations with Leicester City over the permanent signing of Lewis Brunt. That is in its very early stages, so we will see how that goes.”

Brunt operated at both centre-back and in defensive midfield across 34 League Two matches for Mansfield, going unbeaten in his first 11 outings for the club and finishing the campaign with a couple of goals to his name too. He missed the final six games of the season through injury.

Joining City on a free transfer from Aston Villa in 2021, Brunt was the club’s development squad player of the season in his maiden campaign at the King Power Stadium, featuring twice for Brendan Rodgers’ senior side in an FA Cup win over Watford and a Premier League loss at Tottenham.

In 2022-23, he played twice more, in the cup victory at Gillingham and as a substitute in the defeat at Nottingham Forest. He has a year left on his contract with the club.