Where three ideal signings fit into Leicester XI: Part 3, rightwing

Acquiring De Ketelaere should also be boosted by having a strong Belgian contingent already in the squad, despite transfer links away from the club for both Youri Tielemans and Dennis Praet. It also feels like a Foxes signing; young and promising, but with an additional risk of spending upwards of £35 million (if the rumours are to be believed). Expensive signings haven’t gone too smoothly for the East Midlands club in recent years, but those players were older, almost on the wrong side of their prime years, whereas De Ketelaere is only improving. I think most fans, and Rodgers, would take either of the aforementioned options, but as a slight wildcard, what about Samuel Chukwueze?

The Nigerian winger is contracted to Villarreal (ever since graduating from their academy system in 2018) and is an interesting talent operating on the right-side of their adjustable 4–4–2 structure. Known primarily for his effectiveness when carrying possession—illustrated by his percentile rankings across Europe’s Top Five Leagues for progressive carries (83rd) and completed dribbles (98th)—the 23-year-old would provide the explosiveness and skillset missing from the right. Not to mention, 95% of his actions are completed with his left foot (fbref), which does fit the stylistic profile I’ve created, albeit limiting the unpredictability of his ball-carrying.

However, since being an important part of Villarreal’s La Liga campaigns for the last four years, Chukwueze hasn’t registered more than 5 goals in a single season, nor 5 assists per season. His general output is fairly low, despite this, he ranks highly amongst “attacking midfielders/wingers” for xA (expected assists) per 90, with a score of 0.26 (85th percentile).

This suggests his inability to consistently create goals for his teammates isn’t solely his fault, the forwards receiving his passes to score aren’t converting the chances as frequently as expected. Even with all of these aspects considered, I think there’s a risk to his acquisition—but, with a market value of £16 million, he’s likely to be available for a similar fee to Madueke with a potential ceiling as high as the Englishman. It boils down to risk versus reward, and the Foxes aren’t known for taking expensive risks in the transfer market.

Overall, I think the two most heavily rumoured wingers; Noni Madueke and Charles De Ketelaere are good stylistic fits for Leicester City. I would probably prefer the former, just because of his raw athletic profile being a massive boost to attacking transitions/scenarios, whereas the Belgian boasts similar assets to James Maddison—which is good, we just don’t need two of him. Personally, the RW spot will be taken by the current Leicester City No.10, but whoever we sign will make a case for replacing him there, and perhaps even adjust the formation to accommodate both.