ALL IN: Why Leicester City must spend big on Championship duo
To replace a world-class player is one thing, and to replace who has been one of the most important players in a club’s history is another – but how exactly do you do it? Leicester City better have an answer.
As the Foxes now prepare for the post-Riyad Mahrez era, they’d be tasked with finding someone who is just as good, just as consistent and just as much of a matchwinner that the Algerian has been for all of these years.
Despite the £60 million that they would be getting for the Algerian, it’s not going to be easy to find someone of the ilk, and more so in today’s inflated transfer market. Manchester United have already set the standard pretty high for the summer by paying £52 million for Fred, and others clubs are going to follow suit – Leicester City, too.
While they may not boast the same bloated riches as United or any other top six club, City would have to spend big, and more importantly, spend the funds wisely as well. The question, again, is who do they spend it on? Do they bring in a versatile winger or a creative midfielder – maybe two – who can pull the strings?
If you look closely at what Leicester need the most, then it doesn’t seem like a direct replacement for Mahrez is what the squad is crying out for. Put another way, they don’t need a winger or a wide player – Gray, Diabate and Albrighton can all fill the void. Where the urgency currently lies is the midfied. Keep in mind that it’s Mahrez’s creativity, output and consistency that the Foxes need to find, not necessarily a winger.
Even last season, we saw how Puel had a lot of options to deploy on the flanks – and all did arguably well – but the lack of attacking impact from the middle of the park was pretty telling and may yet affect any number of matches if the problem is not addressed.
This is why Leicester City should avoid buying someone like Thorgan Hazard or Felipe Anderson, and instead go for the Championship duo of Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish and Norwich City’s James Maddison. To some, it might sound like a wild idea, and rightly so – after all, Hazard and Anderson are established players, have decent numbers and may develop into world-class talents (although it’s a big “may”); but then again, they are not what is required.
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In Grealish and Maddison, we are talking two of the best, most complete and technically sound young English midfielders in the country, who have both passed the tough test of carrying a team on their own. Similar in playing style and the way they go about their job, the only aspect that differentiates the two of them is perhaps their age, with the former being 22 and the latter 21, yet being years ahead in the head.
True, the no.10s are separated by their numbers, too. While Grealish has eight assists and three goals in 34 appearances (all competitions), Maddison has a jaw-dropping 15 goals and eight assists in 49 appearances for a team that finished 14th in the Sky Bet Championship last season.
They might be a part of the reason why some people aren’t very much in favour of the Villan, but don’t let Jack’s numbers fool you. Gregg Evans of the Birmingham Mail explains why:
"“That doesn’t really do him justice”, he said of Jack Grealish’s direct contributions.“He has had huge impact on games and has tended to carry Villa at times. They rely on him so much. He is their main attacking threat.“His real quality is that he picks the ball up in deep areas and carries it out into dangerous ones. He wins fouls and takes the pressure off Villa.”"
A more detailed look at their statistics – if that’s what appeases you – from the last season offers yet more evidence of how complete they are. To start with, in terms of passing accuracy, they are well over 85%, averaging just under 50 passes per game, which is vital to Claude Puel’s possession based football.
Moving on, Jack Grealish averages 1.9 key passes to James Maddison’s 2.8 per game, while the former averages three successful dribbles in comparison to the Norwich starboy’s 2.4.
Those numbers are quite simply very good for any no.10 who plays in any league, and the fact that they will only get better is a testament to the talent that’s in there.
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Leicester City may still go for a conservative approach and buy someone more experienced and less risky, but in doing so, they leave little scope for possibilities of the impossible.