With the transfer window in full flow, Leicester City already mean business. Currently, talented French midfielder Boubakary Soumaré is set to sign with several others in the works. In light of this, here is an assessment of Patson Daka and Philippe Coutinho, which are in varying stages of completion, but both will bring something unique to Leicester’s attack.
Patson Daka: what we know
Things in football often progress quickly and Leicester City have seemingly pulled off a masterstroke in the space of a few days. Talks with Odsonne Edouard were seemingly near-complete, with Celtic were reportedly haggling over the final transfer fee. As such, Leicester City turned to alternatives, and Patson Daka was quickly lined up.
Such details are unknown of yet, but the fee is rumoured to be around £23m, only slightly more expensive than Edouard. Due to their swift decisions, Leicester City managed to steal a march on other suitors including Liverpool and RB Leipzig. Such interest highlights the quality of the player and the excellence of the recruitment team.
Now, according to trusted journalist Fabrizio Romano, the transfer is near completion with a “here we go soon”. Romano’s catchphrase “here we go” effectively seals a near promise of a completed transfer, exciting news for Foxes fans.
What will the Zambian bring to Leicester City?
Patson Daka is a central striker by trade, although he can play on the wings with his skillset. Make no mistake about it, Patson Daka is being signed to compete with the strikers, not to fill the vacant RW position. At Salzburg, he’s often played in a front two (in a 4-2-2-2) which would make him suitable for Leicester‘s two striker formations. Regardless, adapting to the lone striker role would hopefully not be an issue.
Just from looking at Daka’s attacking numbers gives the impression of an incredible player. In the last two seasons, he’s scored 61 goals, with 27 of these coming last campaign. The fact he did this in just 28 games makes this even more impressive, with a goal coming every 73 minutes. Such output draws comparisons to Erling Haaland, and if Daka is half the player he is, Leicester City have a serious talent on their hands.
Patson Daka as a player possesses some similarities to Jamie Vardy, always a good sign. These include electrifying pace, which Daka has used on multiple occasions to create space for himself. Furthermore, Daka has not only excellent off the ball movement to get into goalscoring positions, but also composure in front of goal. Possessing excellent athletic ability, Daka has the wherewithal to utilise his athleticism, enhancing his ‘goal poaching’ abilities. This translates to a range of finishes, ranging from clinical to acrobatic.
Daka has shown sufficient quality to merit a step up to a ‘top five’ league but is unproven at Premier League level. He has some experience in continental competitions, although he hasn’t overly impressed in his brief showings. This may mean the striker is gradually acclimatised, due to the unparalleled nature of the EPL. Furthermore, whilst Leicester City dominate most games, they don’t possess the same level of comparative superiority as RB Salzburg. Therefore, Daka may have to adapt his game slightly. Whilst he may not have as many chances, he will get more than enough opportunities playing with James Maddison and Youri Tielemans.
In terms of weaknesses, Daka can be criticised for being a little one-dimensional and isn’t the best at beating players one-on-one, which may be an issue at a higher level. At Leicester City, he would benefit from state-of-the-art facilities and coaching, which can help him refine some of the technical aspects of his game. As Daka is only 22 years old, he remains far from the finished article and Leicester City will provide an excellent place for him to continue his development.
Philippe Coutinho: white elephant or potential bargain?
This remains a deal very much in the ‘rumour stage’ with Coutinho linked with a reunion with Brendan Rodgers on several occasions. With Barcelona drowning in debt, there are reports of Coutinho being available for just £20m. For such a player, regardless of his struggles, this seems a bargain. Due to other positions needing more urgent attention, Leicester’s interest at the moment may well end up being a loan deal, with Barcelona subsidising a large part of Coutinho’s wages.
Coutinho on his day is a quality player, make no question about that. Anyone who remembers his time at Liverpool knows how good the Brazilian can be at entertaining as well as winning games Free kicks, long-range shooting, silky dribbling. Those are just three of the areas where Coutinho dazzled Premier League fans. Under the tutelage of Rodgers, the Brazilian may well rediscover his best form. After all, form is temporary, but class is permanent. Position-wise, he’s best in the number 10 role although he is also adept at cutting inside from the left, giving cover/competition to both Barnes and Maddison.
Leicester City have lacked enough ‘star quality’ to unlock stubborn defences and Coutinho may be the answer to this problem, improving Leicester’s record against the deep block with his ability to pick killer passes, and long-range shooting. With Leicester failing to exploit a high volume of set-pieces, Coutinho’s arrival may lead to many more goals from this front, given his abilities from the dead-ball. Having more ‘matchwinners’ would also create space for the other LCFC attackers, who may otherwise find themselves marked out of the game.
One sticking point of this deal would be the Brazilian’s wages, as he earns nearly £400,000 a week. These demands would need to significantly fall if he joined as Leicester City wouldn’t want to upset the dressing room atmosphere by tearing up the wage structure. Ultimately, whether he joins depends on whether he wants football or money, either of which would be understandable choices.
This move would be a risk for sure, and whether such a risk is taken is yet to be seen. All that can be said is watch this space…
What does this mean for transfer activity and formation?
This summer requires a fine balance between finance and quality. With global finances stretched by the pandemic, cash flow may be an issue even though the Srivaddhanaprabha family are billionaires. This is not to say there won’t be investment, but Top has always based his excellent ownership of the club on sustainable growth. All omens point to Daka as a good value signing, yet this will significantly reduce the budget available. Where the money may come from is unknown, with potential options including loans against future Premier League revenue, owner injections or existing reserves. Further funds can be raised through selling fringe players, or as a last resort, one of the stars such as James Maddison or Youri Tielemans. Rest assured, this is unlikely to occur without good reason.
The emphasis on transfers for wing-backs central midfielders and strikers so far may hint at Rodgers’ desire to continue with three at the back. If the above signings were to be signed, it wouldn’t be inconceivable for a 3-4-1-2 system to be used once again. Here, Coutinho would take up his favoured number 10 position, with Daka occupying one of the striker positions alongside either Kelechi Iheanacho or Jamie Vardy.
Alternatively, Rodgers may revert to his favoured 4-2-3-1 system, with Daka as a lone striker (when he plays) and Coutinho either on the left-hand side or in the number 10 position. With these signings having a degree of positional versatility, it provides quality rotation options and allows the use of different formations.
For a perfect transfer window, LCFC would need these two signings alongside a left-back, right-winger and an experienced centre-back. Ideally, this would be Robin Gosens, Matheus Pereira and James Tarkowski, although it may be too much of an ask to sign all three. With two almost complete (Daka and Soumaré), Leicester City’s squad looks exceptionally strong for the new season. Now it’s just the simple job of keeping Youri Tielemans, who was horrendous last game for Belgium. If any Liverpool/Man United fans are reading, he’s not quite good enough for your clubs yet!