The Russell Martin revolution is in full swing on Filbert Way, with Leicester City having made seven new signings while moving on almost an entire side worth of players - some unwanted, others valuable assets. The two most notable sales were Jeremy Monga, who completed a £12–15 million move to Manchester City, along with Abdul Fatawu, who joined newly promoted Premier League side Ipswich Town.
Fatawu has a very high ceiling, with the potential to once again feature at future World Cups and become a Premier League star before long; the youngster is on a slightly steadier path to stardom despite being so capable. Even so, both players could yet lose focus, commitment or drive and fail to live up to their outstanding potential.
The seven new arrivals at LCFC are as follows: Tommy Watson, a winger who joins on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion, Alex McCarthy, the former Southampton goalkeeper who knows Russell Martin well and understands his playing style. Also joining is fellow stopper Franco Ravizzoli, who briefly played under Martin during his time at Blackpool, plus versatile attacker Liam Cullen from Swansea City; who is capable of playing as a central forward, though he has featured less often there in recent years.
Conor Chaplin signed after leaving Ipswich Town, as did wideman Wes Burns, as well as highly-rated young prospect Christian McFarland joining the City ranks. Martin enjoyed a strong pre-season with his new squad too, as the East Midlands side lost only one of their friendly matches, keeping some clean sheets and scoring freely along the way.
Yet there remains one major concern weighing heavily on the minds of the LE2 outfit's loyal supporters: there is still no specialist striker at the club, a situation this writer is growing tired of stating and, naturally, deeply concerned by. The ideal player most Foxes fans would have wanted is former favourite Jamie Vardy, who spent last season in Serie A with Cremonese whilst performing well, proving he still possesses a deadly edge in front of goal.
However, the Italian club were relegated and Vardy departed, making him a free agent. Nothing would be more helpful for LCFC than to welcome back their legendary No.9 to lead the line, especially in League One where he would likely be deadly - even at 39 and turning 40 soon.
No Jamie Vardy at Leicester City but maybe at West Ham United
Even so, Vardy has stated that chapter of his career is closed, and many fans believe his reluctance to return to Filbert Way stems from the influence and perceived overreach of chief football officer Jon Rudkin. EFL Championship club West Ham United are reported to have enquired about the icon's availability (though he is clearly available, so it remains unclear why this was framed as an enquiry); journalist Ben Jacobs adds that Vardy is taking time to weigh up his options amid widespread interest in his services.
Add us as a preferred source on Google