Leicester City expiring contracts: which players to renew or lose

The 2022/23 Leicester City season

During this season, club legends, backups, a youthful prospect, and our second-in-line goalkeeper will either leave or stay with a renewed contract.

On the subject of our second goalie, Danny Ward has been fine when called upon by the club, and is still ‘young’ in goalkeeper terms at 27. This does make him a seasoned ‘keeper, and he has plenty of quality in distribution – better than Kasper Schmeichel in this regard – though his positioning has let him down as a ‘shotstopper’.

I expect he will choose not to renew a contract himself, though the club should offer him a renewal. The Foxes would be without a second-choice goalie of proven quality, and would have to rely upon Iversen or Stolarczyk to take the reins.

Daniel Amartey is a more complicated discussion. Let’s be frank, he has actually been pretty consistent for the club since his return from injury. Called upon as a member of a back three more often than not, and as a backup in absence of Caglar Soyuncu or Wesley Fofana, there is a degree of admiration for Amartey.

Due to his hard work and the importance of an experienced and balanced option for our world-class defence, I’d recommend giving him a two-year extension to his contract until the very youthful Ben Nelson has an opportunity to take his place in the squad.

The next two are wingers. Rachid Ghezzal – currently out on loan at Beşiktaş in Turkey – and legend Marc Albrighton will both leave in the near-future. Albrighton is currently 31, while Ghezzal is currently 28. If neither transfer away before then, they will be 33 and 30 respectively.

Ghezzal will leave this summer. No doubt his loan move will become permanent. He has found goalscoring form in Turkey, and is unlikely to make the cut if even Cengiz Under does not meet Brendan Rodgers‘ high standards.

I should like to say that I have been impressed with Ghezzal on loan, and he has gained that goal scoring intent he lacked during his time at the King Power. I would like to see him here next season.

Albrighton has been an excellent servant, and has shown himself to be the James Milner of Leicester City this season. Playing on the left, the right, in midfield, and as a wing-back. His high work rate and technical improvement under Rodgers is staggering. Nevertheless, the Foxes will have better options by this point, so he should not be given an extension unless it is a one-year deal.

Khanya Leshabela is a shoe-in for a new contract in the near-future. There is no doubt in my mind that the versatile attacker – who has played as a winger, an attacking midfielder, and a right winger – will be in going out on loan shortly to aid his development. He will then prove himself, get a four-year contract, and be in the Foxes squad in three years time.