Brendan Rodgers attempts to justify last season’s disastrous transfer business

Soumare struggled in his first year, and, despite signs of progression in pre-season, Leicester want to cash in on him after only a season. Soumare could be classed as a cover player in his first season, but Rodgers is fooling no one if he wants people to believe this was his only reason for being at the club. Many fans like Soumare, but he is – unfortunately – the right man for the wrong club.

Of all the arrivals last year, Patson Daka has been the undoubtable success. His  historic four-goal performance against Spartak Moscow aside, the Zambian has shown the quality he offers in front of goal, hitting double figures last season. Eyed by Liverpool, Leicester pipped the Reds to his signing, setting the Foxes back £23m from RB Salzburg.

Another one on a five-year deal, Daka’s role was to learn from, and eventually replace Jamie Vardy in the starting XI. It’s a role that requires time and patience but he has looked the man for the job. To call him a cover player is exceptionally unfair.

Cover players or not, of the four permanent transfers, the club are now looking to offload three of them. Soumare’s departure looks likely, whilst Vestergaard and Bertrand are proving much more stubborn in their stance at the club and, even if they do sell Vestergaard, they will make a big loss on him.

This puts last season’s summer success rate at only 25%, a truly disastrous window for the Foxes. In a sport where the margins for error are so slim, this is an unacceptable figure. Even if all these were cover players, it is no excuse for them to be such poor pieces of recruitment – your squad players still need to be top players who add to your side, not detract from it.