Around 17 years ago, Leicester City sat in League One, their future far from bright. Yet within a handful of seasons, the Foxes clawed their way up.
They claimed titles in that division and the Championship, pulled off one of the Premier League's most miraculous escapes from relegation, then LCFC stunned the sporting world by lifting the top-flight trophy itself. That golden era went on to bring Champions League nights, an FA Cup triumph and further European adventures, only for recent years to bring a sharp and painful descent marked by financial strain and dwindling fortunes at King Power Stadium.
Few truths ring louder in modern sport than the power of money - and nowhere is this more starkly illustrated than in professional football: where resources shape almost every outcome on and off the pitch. For Leicester, this reality has meant having to sell any player of real standing whether seasoned or emerging.
Meanwhile LCFC recruitment has been limited largely to free transfers and loan deals in recent years. Leaving the current squad a pale shadow of the side that made history a decade ago.
What prime Leicester City Premier League title-winners would be worth now?
10 seasons have now passed since the club’s finest hour: that unforgettable 2015/16 PL triumph, a moment that remains bittersweet for the devoted Blue Army who saw their wildest dreams come true but now face widespread disappointment. Now competing in the third tier, the team's roster looks thin across the board, with the striker position particularly bleak.
This striking contrast presumably led Planet Football to ask a thought-provoking question: what would icons of that historic squad (Jamie Vardy, N’Golo Kante, Riyad Mahrez, Danny Drinkwater and Danny Simpson) be worth in today's inflated transfer market? Who better to offer an answer than Simpson himself; he's actually still balling with Arabian Falcons, and values the aforementioned group at a combined £670 million.
"We recently got the chance to interview Danny Simpson and asked him what his former Leicester City teammates would be worth in today’s market."PF
The full-back, who joined Leicester for just £1m, believes his versatility across right-back, left-back and RCB would command a fee of £20m in the current climate. Next in his estimation was Danny Drinkwater, whom he values at £80m; drawing a comparison to Manchester City's £116m signing Elliot Anderson, which is a considerable stretch.
Perhaps surprisingly, Vardy is not rated as the most expensive of the group in Simpson's eyes, with the centre forward's peak form priced at £150m. The 39-year-old places Mahrez at the very top of the list with a valuation of £220m, while Kante would run potential suitors £200m were he still in his prime years - shame that wasn't his contract release fee!
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