Leicester must gift this youngster more minutes in League One

Leicester fans will want to quickly put the 2025/26 season to the back of their minds when the first ball is kicked to start the brand-new campaign.

Hopefully, the Foxes race out of the traps quickly in League One, with a new manager - who is yet to be announced - coming in who is a far better fit than the stale appointment of Gary Rowett.

While plenty of signings will likely take place this summer to freshen up the equally fusty squad, Leicester will also feel they can fall back on some promising youth talent to try and make next season a memorable promotion-winning campaign.

Notably, Olabade Aluko could be ready for more first-team chances, with the England U20 international already up to 11 senior appearances at the King Power, after shooting up the youth ranks.

Aluko will fancy his chances at more first team minutes

One of those senior outings even came about in the Premier League for the London-born youngster, as he came on during the latter stages of the Foxes' match with AFC Bournemouth during the 2024/25 season, which confirmed their relegation down to the Championship.

With a further ten first team matches coming his way last season, the time does feel right now for the 19-year-old to have a breakout moment and become a regular.

After all, he has already amassed 56 appearances for both the U18s and U21s, as a versatile defensive option that can play down both flanks as a full-back, or as a defensive midfield anchor. With Ricardo Pereira now gone, fresh blood is needed in the full-back department.

Picking up three goal contributions from only six Premier League 2 outings last season, it does feel as if Aluko has hit his ceiling just being a starlet reserved for youth pitches.

The 19-year-old has also spoke enthusiastically about the upcoming season on social media, with a feel-good mood hopefully returning to the King Power, if Aluko and many others are all singing off the same hymn sheet to try and win an instant promotion.

Aluko's social media message

All too often last season, the likes of Harry Winks made putting on a Leicester jersey look like a chore.

Unlike Winks who has been blase about the club's situation, you would imagine a figure like Aluko - who has been in and around the Leicester ranks since a young age - would be desperate to put the Foxes back on the map.

He certainly seems up for the challenge of League One, rather than shirking responsibility, when taking to social media recently.

Taking to Instagram, the teenager wrote: "A season of growth, challenges, memories and lessons. The ending wasn’t the one i envisioned, but I’m incredibly grateful for every opportunity and experience that came with it. Thank you to everyone was part of the journey. Excited for next season."

These aren't the words of someone who is non-plussed. Rather, they're the musings of a homegrown talent who will desperately want to play a big role in Leicester breaking back into the Championship.

While faces such as Jeremy Monga from the academy look set to leave, Aluko looks set to stay and battle, as a positive new dawn is hopefully on the horizon at the King Power, after two seasons of constant hurt.

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