How shrewd Leicester transfers made them £450million
By Will Kennedy
No more release clauses
A smaller point than the last, but one of equal importance, the Foxes are notorious for having a strict policy on their players’ release clauses: they are forbidden. Having been caught out once, Leicester have now eradicated release clauses from all their contracts, instead preferring to negotiate with clubs in order to get the most value for their players.
The person that sparked this movement was a small and humble French midfielder who spent only one season with the club, but within that time became an iconic figure: N’Golo Kante.
After losing Esteban Cambiasso on a free in the summer of 2015, the club raced to find their replacement in midfield. City’s wide scouting network led them to 24-year-old Caen midfielder, Kante, for only £5.6m. The Frenchman became Claudio Ranieri’s first signing that summer.
Not many fans outside of Leicester remember this, but it took a few weeks for Kante to establish himself as a starter in the squad, but once he had his starting spot, he was unmoveable. An ever-lasting engine, his passing and tackling was phenomenal, and he played a key part in the 2016 title win.
After winning the league, rivals started to swarm around City as they aimed to pick apart the squad for themselves. Chelsea saw an opportunity in Kante, as his contract included a £32m release clause and he soon completed a move to Stanford Bridge. Leicester, knowing they could have received more for their powerhouse, immediately started to remove release clauses in their players’ contracts and haven’t been caught out since.
A subtle, but successful business decision, this has enabled the Foxes to receive some monumental fees in their recent history. Speaking of which, here’s how to buy low and sell high.