Leicester City are set to undergo a substantial squad overhaul this summer after what has been a disappointing campaign to date.
Whilst there is still a realistic chance this season can be made a success, it is clear that new faces need to be brought in. For this to happen there will inevitably be sales too. Foxes of Leicester examines four that will likely be put on the shop window and have some chance of being sold.
Leicester City star Youri Tielemans
The constant speculation around Youri Tielemans has become so tiring for the King Power faithful that FoL is not contributing any more talk about his future for the time being. Nevertheless, with his contract running out in 2023 it may be worthwhile cashing in on the Belgian whilst he can still command a fee, even if it is a reduced one.
According to the Telegraph, around £25 million would be enough for the Belgian who has given mixed messages of whether he will stay another year or leave. If such a figure is to be believed, it may be more worthwhile keeping the Belgian for another year. Please click below to continue the article and move onto the subsequent page.
Kelechi Iheanacho
Kelechi Iheanacho can perhaps feel hard done by not to have been given a more regular chance to start in Leicester’s team. With a goal contribution every 99.5 minutes, Kele consistently provides even if he combines the sublime with the ridiculous. However, Kelechi doesn’t seem to be favoured by Brendan Rodgers and is not as effective on his own compared to being in a two-man pairing. Therefore, it may be wise to cash in on the Nigerian despite his popularity with the fanbase. If Iheanacho were to be sold, this would be greatly disappointing and would certainly be for a sizeable fee given how he has proven himself over the last couple of seasons.
Caglar Soyuncu
Caglar Soyuncu has had a difficult season to put it lightly with the Turkey international coming in for stinging criticism for his early season performances. However, over the last month, Cags has been generally much improved which has coincided with an upturn in Leicester’s form. Nevertheless, Soyuncu remains an enigma who like Tielemans has a contract that runs out in Summer 2023. This begs the same question, whether LCFC ought to cash in on the defender to raise funds.
However, Soyuncu has said himself he would prefer to stay in England so a move may be unlikely given his inconsistent form. It would instead be better for Cags to stay at the King Power and hopefully consolidate a solid run of recent form. If he were to move, however, a fee of around £30m would likely be satisfactory.
Ayoze Perez
It is safe to say that Ayoze Perez has not worked out well at LCFC despite moving with a sizeable reputation and transfer fee. After 92 appearances, Perez has scored 12 goals but never really convinced City fans. In his defence, the Spaniard has not been playing in his favoured position for most of his time at the club.
Even so, the Spaniard struggles to deliver; his miss against Chelsea haunted Leicester fans for a long time. Despite his work rate, his lack of action may hint at him being out of the manager’s plans. Therefore, it may be best for all parties that Perez moves on, and he can perhaps finally play in his preferred position.
The main issue with Perez, along with other fringe players such as Ryan Bertrand and Jannik Vestergaard, is the difficulty of finding available suitors. Regarding the Spaniard, it is unlikely that the Foxes will recoup the £30m they paid with a fee of £10-15m a more realistic figure.
Foxes round-up
Whatever happens, Leicester’s transfer activity hinges on their ability to achieve European football either through the Conference League or an unlikely top-seven finish. Doing this would make it much easier to recruit the profile of players wanted by the East Midlanders: Noni Madueke and Domenico Berardi. Maybe European success could even tempt a certain Belgian to sign a new contract…