After much anticipation, Leicester City’s proposed summer rebuild has failed to get going. With no head of recruitment at the club until September, the odds of a transformative window have fallen, and many fans are understandably disheartened by the lack of action.
Leicester’s transfer moves were always dependent on which players the club could sell. Initially it looked as if Youri Tielemans was set for Arsenal, but a move failed to emerge. The likes of Soyuncu and Perez are also for sale, but no buyers have come. Soumare was another who could generate some funds; however, his departure is set to be out on loan.
What promised to be an interesting summer has turned out to be a dreary day-to-day of hoping Leicester will be at least linked with someone credible whilst the likes of Aston Villa and Newcastle United have already secured several smart recruits.
For all the negativity, it is important to remember that the window only opened at the beginning of July and the Foxes do still have the rest of the summer to play around with. So, without further ado, here are three players who could still sign for Leicester City before the season starts.
Levi Colwill to Leicester City?
For those who are frequently checking Twitter for transfer business, Colwill’s name will be a familiar one. In the last few weeks, we have been hearing of Leicester City’s interest in the young centre back.
For those unfamiliar, Colwill is the latest Chelsea academy product predicted for greatness. Still only 19, the youngster still has yet to play for the Blues but is garnering high interest from several Premier League clubs.
Not feeling like the U23s was challenging his development enough, Colwill took the brave plunge into Championship football last season as he joined Huddersfield on loan. Widley regarded as one of the toughest and competitive leagues in the world, the Championship can make or break a young player.
Colwill excelled, as did the Terriers, and he made 32 appearances for the Yorkshire-based club, playing over 2,400 league minutes as the club were narrowly defeated in the play-off final, with Colwill unfortunately at the end of the deciding own-goal. A tough experience for the young defender, but one that will make him all the stronger.
Playing a lot of his football in a back three, Colwill fits the left-sided hole that many clubs look for in their defence. With Soyuncu set to depart, and Evans only getting older, Colwill’s youth could be exactly what the Foxes need, just as Fofana was.
Whilst he fits Leicester’s criteria, an actual move for him could be difficult. Contracted to Chelsea until 2025, it will take more than the £4.5m he is valued at to secure his signature. That, alongside the fact that he is English, could see any fee easily rise into double figures.
But that’s not all: Chelsea have recently faced a mass exodus of defenders and won’t be keen to lose more. Having already lost Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen on free transfers, Thomas Tuchel is also facing the prospect of selling veteran César Azpilicueta leaving only Marlang Sarr, Thiago Silva and Trevoh Chalobah as their experienced options, as well as Ethan Ampadu.
For this reason, Tuchel has included Colwill in his 29-man squad for Chelsea’s upcoming tour in America; the Southampton-born defender will be hoping to impress his manager and the fans as he fights for a place in Chelsea’s plans.
If Leicester are to make a successful offer for Colwill, it will be after he comes back from America in two weeks’ time. It could happen, but the Foxes will have to play the waiting game for him, as well as fend off interest from Southampton.
Ibrahim Sangare
Another name long linked to Leicester City, Ibrahim Sangare, has enjoyed a fantastic season with PSV in the Dutch Eredivisie. The defensive midfielder has just finished his second season in Eindhoven after his transfer from Toulouse in 2020.
Comparable to Wilfred Ndidi and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in his work rate, Sangare is a real presence in the heart of the midfield. With Soumare having all but signed for Monaco, and with Choudhury’s future up in the air, Sangare would be a welcome addition to the Leicester pack.
Only 24, the Ivory Coast international is destined for a move this summer, such is the success of his time in the Netherlands. In 48 games, he established himself as a mainstay in the starting line-up, as well as contributing four goals and four assists. Across his time so far in Eindhoven, he has made 87 appearances over just two seasons.
Sangare wouldn’t come cheap – in fact for this deal to happen at all, Leicester would have to sell several players for significant fees. Thankfully though, PSV don’t have a say in any bids for their midfielder, meaning that Leicester wouldn’t get milked dry in a bidding war. For a player rated so highly and valued already at £21.6m, his release clause is surprisingly low, coming in at only £30m.
Whilsy you wouldn’t call £30m cheap, it is far lower than any fee he would garner if the clause weren’t there. The combination of the release clause, alongside his brilliant season has meant that a pool of big clubs are monitoring him. Chelsea, Manchester United and Newcastle are all interested in the powerhouse, with the Foxes’ interest dating back to April.
Already capped 24 times for his country, Sangare’s future looks bright, and City must act sooner rather than later if they are to get their man given the profile of clubs interested in him. Not only that, but the midfielder is open and, according to LeicestershireLive, ‘ready’ to accept a new deal at PSV if no summer move emerges – a deal that would all but double his release clause, if not remove it entirely.
Ismaila Sarr
One defender, one midfielder, and now a right winger. If this were a week ago, you could have bet that I’d be writing about Charles De Ketelaere here, however the exciting Belgian is now expected to sign for Italian champions AC Milan. Benjamin Bourigeaud has also been linked, but there are conflicting reports as to how valid Leicester’s interest is in the Frenchman.
No other true right wingers have been linked with Leicester City – the noise around Noni Madueke disappeared before the end of the season – and, before you ask, no, Ademola Lookman is not a right winger. This led me to look over the market to see who is available, and Sarr’s name popped out.
The Senegalese international is still young – 24 – but has already collected a vast amount of footballing experience across his career. Entering his fourth year at Watford, Sarr’s contract currently expires in 2024 and, having just experienced a second relegation with the Hornets, he may be tempted by a new challenge.
Whilst his numbers weren’t the best this season – 22 appearances with five goals and two assists, he was still effective and a dangerman for opposition defences with his pace and dribbling two of his key assets. In total, he has played 92 games for Watford, scored 24 and has provided 18 assists.
This season, he saw personal success with Senegal as he scored and assisted for his international side in their successful AFCON campaign – alongside current Foxes midfielder Papy Mendy. Sarr is a stalwart for Senegal and he is closing in on a half-century for his country having been capped 47 times, scoring 10 goals along the way.
His international accomplishments, alongside his proven ability in England, means that he won’t come cheap. Watford paid £27m for Sarr when he was signed from Rennes in 2019, and they’ll be wanting to make a profit on their tricky winger.
Currently valued at £24.3m, Sarr will command a price close to – if not exceeding – the £30m that Sangare would cost. For that reason, due to Leicester’s lack of funds, it may be one or the other for them this window.
If they can keep Tielemans, then Sarr is an option they must pursue in order to finally get a right-winger. If Tielemans does go, then Sarr may be pushed aside as the recruitment team pursue cheaper options. Already linked to West Ham, the Foxes must decide where their priorities lie.