Leicester City could still wave goodbye to three of their senior centre backs before the transfer window closes, with the futures of that established trio of defenders hanging in the balance ahead of the deadline. The candidates heading for the exit door at King Power Stadium are Australia international Harry Souttar, Belgian CB Wout Faes and Italian defensive man Caleb Okoli, all of whom have been linked with moves away.
Getting their respectively substantial wages off Leicester's books would be a financial blessing for a club looking to rebuild while operating under ridiculously tight constraints. In reality, two of those three defenders have been total let-downs in Leicester shirts, and should not be anywhere near the first-team squad at this stage of their careers.
That assessment applies squarely to Faes and Okoli: the pair having consistently stood out for all the wrong reasons in the heart of a defence that has looked porous and far too easily breached. Both have been culpable for costly errors and defensive fragility that have undermined results and frustrated supporters in equal measure over the years.
Souttar, meanwhile, has made it clear he also wants to leave the East Midlanders - so Leicester should grant his wish without hesitation, fee dependent. While few in the Blue Army can blame the former Stoke City and Sheffield United player for seeking an escape from what feels like a fractured environment, there is no appetite to keep any player who does not want to be on Filbert Way.
Leicester City to sign centre back Ilari Kangasniemi?
Amid that clear-out, Leicester are now closing in on a fresh defensive signing in the shape of highly-rated 19-year-old Inter Turku centre-back Ilari Kangasniemi, with the deal reportedly edging ever closer to completion. The fee is expected to land around €2.5 million (roughly £2.1 million) a sum that would shatter the existing record for a transfer out of the Finnish Veikkausliiga.
🚨 𝗘𝗫𝗖𝗟: Ilari Kangasniemi (19) siirtyy tietojeni mukaan Leicester Cityyn – uudella Veikkausliigan ennätyssummalla. 🇫🇮💰💥
— Eetu Ikola (@eetuikola) August 24, 2026
FC Interin superlupaus matkustaa tänään Englantiin. Siirto enää lääkärintarkastusta vaille valmis. 🏴✍️🦊 — #LCFC #Veikkausliigahttps://t.co/OcvjvvPdnW
Kangasniemi is already apparently on his way to England to complete his medical and finalise terms, having caught the eye with his composure on the ball, physical presence and mature reading of the game for such a young athlete. The Turku baller arrives as a long-term prospect poised to (hopefully) benefit from Russell Martin's coaching; he may offer both defensive solidity and the kind of build-up play that fits the boss's style.
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