Manager Marti Cifuentes and, by default, Leicester City, have admitted that they're desperate to keep star winger Abdul Fatawu at King Power Stadium. The Foxes ownership never really disclose anything they don't have to. And LCFC head coaches are rarely open and regularly coy. So why the honesty all of a sudden?
Leicester City's determination
"There are some key players we want to keep, and Abdul is one of them."Marti Cifuentes
That was the comment from the Catalan following Leicester's win at Charlton Athletic at the weekend. The 21-year-old scored a marvellous goal; surely transfer speculation will subsequently ramp up once again.
Though, why is the City gaffer, and the club by extension, being so honest at the moment? Maybe it's because it's your favourite Foxes of Leicester writer's birthday?! But then again - probably not!
A quiet club
Believe you me, unless he's gone rogue and about to clash with chairman Aiyawatt 'Khun Top' Srivaddhanaprabha and his director of football, Jon Rudkin, Cifuentes won't have said this alone. The Catalan will have been almost or implicitly instructed to say this, or strongly advised to publicly tell the player how valued he is on Filbert Way.
Why do I say this, well the Srivaddhanaprabha family, the owners, and their DoF are particularly shy seeming and very private. The don't, or seldom, give interviews or even insights into the club unless media polished like program notes etcetera. Therefore Cifuentes, and former Leicester City bosses, have often had a literal list of things they can, and can't, talk about in public.
Clearly a message was issued or commissioned to be overtly sent to the Ghana international and his entrouage or close ones. And you can see why: already in 2025/26, with this campaign at an infancy, Fatawu has shown himself to be a world-class dribbler, an amazing goalscorer and potentially a very good facilitator in the near future. These elements bring Premier League clubs calling. But while Bilal El Khannouss was omitted- Fatawu played. Foreshadowing, perhaps?