3 Things to know about Leicester transfer targets Ryan Giles and Joel Piroe
By Will Kennedy
What it means for the Leicester City squad
Whilst both Giles and Piroe would be outstanding additions to the squad, it does pose a question as to why they will be needed. Whilst Leicester have already lost eight first-team players, none of those are full-backs or strikers.
Timothy Castagne has had strong rumours of a departure to Juventus, but LCFC are still stacked in the left-back department. James Justin, Victor Kristensen (who has pledged his intention to stay at the Foxes) and Luke Thomas are still on the books and adding a fourth player would make little sense. If Giles were to be signed, at least one of those three should be expected to depart.
As for the strikers, Leicester already have a strong group in Jamie Vardy, Patson Daka and Kelechi Iheanacho, though none produced double figures in goals last season. Jamie Vardy’s wages are a problem for the Foxes – even if they are halved – so he may be forced to move, meanwhile both Daka and Iheanacho have been linked to Roma.
If Piroe were to arrive, it would spell the end for at least one of those strikers, though the Foxes may be open to cashing in on more than one of their attackers this summer as they aim to transform the squad.
In terms of numbers, Giles and Piroe would be smart replacements for the creativity of both James Maddison and Harvey Barnes. Whilst Maddison has already left for £40m, Barnes’ future is unclear but most aren’t expecting him to stick around for the Championship.
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Collectively, Barnes and Maddison (the club’s top scorers in all competitions) produced 27 goals and 12 assists last season. Whilst it will be hard to replace those numbers, it certainly seems as if Giles and Piroe would go a long way in filling the gap in the squad.