How well have Leicester fared in the transfer window?

The summer transfer market has closed for another year, with some marquee names moving to the Premier League. Leicester City targeted more “up-and-coming” stars this window, but how well do Foxes of Leicester rate their business?

Firstly, let’s look at the incomings. Brendan Rodgers was transparent about his objectives for the window, outlining a total of five players, in a variety of positions, to bolster the squad for a season with European competitions.

Unfortunately for Rodgers, Leicester City we’re only able to make three signings. This began with Belgian-international, Timothy Castagne, joining from Italian-powerhouse Atalanta BC for £21.6 million.

If his first four games aren’t a sign already, the Foxes have found an excellent full-back replacement for the departure of England-international, Ben Chilwell. At 24 years old, Castagne is one year his senior, but with a plethora of additional European and international experience.

I don’t want this to become a comparison between the two, they’re different players and for what it’s worth, I think Chilwell will have an excellent season in London. It’s a rare deal in football, where both parties have succeeded. Regardless, Castagne is an excellent acquisition and perfectly fits the project being built by manager, Brendan Rodgers.

The second signing was also from the Italian Serie A, with Cengiz Ünder joining on a season-long loan. Aside from his wages, this has cost Leicester City £2.7 million, which after negotiating from an obligation-to-buy to an option-to-buy, has made this season a free hit.

If  Ünder isn’t able to impose himself on the league, the Foxes will allow him to return to AS Roma – without spending a great deal on him, however, if the Turkish-international can perform to his expected highs, then the 23-year-old can be permanently signed for a mere £22 million – which in today’s climate is relatively cheap for an explosive, creative asset.

Lastly, Leicester City were able to capture their long-standing target of the entire window, Wesley Fofana. The 19-year-old was applying his trade under former Foxes manager, Claude Puel, at Saint-Étienne, but once the interest from Leicester City became evident, the move was a matter of “when” not “if”.

At £31.5 million, the deal is a very, very good one for the Foxes. I can’t stress how little risk there is to signing Fofana for just over £30 million – he’s one of the highest-rated French footballers in world football, and they’re known for having elite youngsters. Undoubtedly, he could be one of the stand-out defenders in the league as well.

Even if Fofana doesn’t experience his best years at The King Power Stadium, although I doubt he’ll struggle, Leicester City would be able to sell him on for a considerable profit, just because of his skill ceiling. I hope the Foxes integrate him into the starting set-up, and he becomes the exceptional talent he’s supposed to be. Either way, great business again from Lee Congerton and the board.