Leicester City’s three biggest transfer swindles rated and explained

First: Danny Drinkwater

What to say about Danny Drinkwater? A long-term servant to Leicester City, Drinkwater joined the club in 2012 after failing to break through at Manchester United. Only costing £800K, it was a smart move made to look genius during the 2015/16 season when Drinkwater played a crucial part in the title win.

Kante’s departure left a big hole in the midfield, one that Drinkwater struggled to deal with, but he and Leicester pushed through as they reached the Champions League last eight in 2016/17. Clearly the taste of CL football was something that Drinkwater relished, and he soon started looking elsewhere when it became clear that he wouldn’t get it again at Leicester.

After 218 games, he departed the club on deadline day in the summer of 2017. The transfer itself didn’t go as Drinkwater had wanted, with Chelsea needing a two-hour extension to get the deal completed whilst Drinkwater waited outside in the car park.

When the deal was announced that night, football fans were left in shock as they saw his £34m transfer fee for a 27-year-old midfielder who had already reached his peak. Still, Chelsea sighted his Premier League and Champions League experience as big selling points for the deal as they aimed to successfully defend their 2016/17 title win; they didn’t.