From former captains to a bunch of Russell Martin's former players, the King Power Club have completed a makeover of the team with 14 signings - a lot of them permanent - hoping to fix the fallen Foxes and repair the malign mentality which plagued the relegated team. With so many coming and going, it is good to take stock to see where all that activity has left us.
Leicester city's signings ranked from worst to best
Conor Chaplin - 9/10
The former Ipswich Town captain, Chaplin, is a signing we desperately needed. With Jamie Vardy a distant memory, Ricardo Pereira gone, and our closest captaincy contender being the Australian Harry Souttar, the Foxes needed leadership. We needed someone who would tell other players when they are simply not good enough and talk directly to the supporters.
On top of that, we needed an attacking midfielder who has fought for promotion, who has struggled to get the best result for his team, and who knows what it is like to be at this level against these opponents. Just going in with a high-possession team of technically gifted players is not enough; we needed real hunger and real understanding. Conor Chaplin is the perfect fit to resolve both those issues. The only concern now is already extensive time out with injury.
Christian McFarlane - 9/10
The Manchester City loanee is exceptional. Even over the small sample size so far, McFarlane has illustrated everything Thomas, as a left-back, did not: he defends with intelligence and passion, he progresses the ball with pace, he links up play with Page and either Alves or Watson, and tracks back really well to recover position. We have only seen a small slip-up, which left our left side exposed during the Plymouth fixture, but McFarlane is the kind of player we should be making a permanent move for if we do get promoted out of League One; the defender would be a big reason why we manage it.
Tommy Watson & Harry Howell - 9/10
The on-loan Brighton & Hove Albion wingers have proven themselves already. Both are direct, pacy, intelligent forwards who like to take on their defender and beat the backline before cutting inside. One of them already has a goal for us, and that is in a side which has been struggling to turn domination into success. That is something these transfers will need to do: give us that spark and creativity to turn performances into results. Watson also has another benefit: he tracks back. Unlike Will Alves, Watson does come deeper to act as an outlet for pressure on the left flank, and while Harry Howell does stay upfront, he knows when to cut inside.
John Lundstram - 8/10
John Lundstram is a good signing. With Oliver Skipp having departed on loan to Charlton Athletic, and Louis Page being the main man in that progressive midfielder role, having another option with experience in promotion battles is beneficial. The midfielder is involved defensively, progressively, possessively, and in attack: a strong box-to-box player. When under pressure, I imagine opponents will struggle to steal the ball from him. That is a quality we need to have later in games when the King Power side is winning a match.
Admir Bristric - 8/10
A hidden gem from a lower league in Europe? That is right up Leicester City's alley, and I am incredibly excited by the signing of the Bosnian forward. He's tall, he's strong, and the forward has shown promising signs of having the right movement and creativity to succeed where defenders are not quite as glued to him. As a long-term development option, we have secured a solid player who will now end up as the second choice to Emil Riis, but when the chances start to fall for Bristric, the striker will make opponents pay.
Ilari Kangasniemi - 7/10
Another hidden gem signing! Kangasniemi is a Finnish centre-back who loves to progress forward and challenge outside the box. In many ways, he can take the position Luke Thomas has now taken as a left-sided CB: more proactive and having enough pace to block opportunities and track back. The defender is young, and his value will only increase should the Foxes secure the promotion they are praying for, making this signing one for the future who can learn from 'Souts' and O'Hora as well as develop alongside the currently injured Ben Nelson.
Emil Riis - 7/10
Bristol City gave this man plenty of time on the pitch, playing 44 times in the EFL Championship last season. Although he was not prolific, nine goals from around 9 xG (expected goals), with two of those being off his head, give Leicester City a player who consistently scores within expectations. All the Foxes have to do is provide the chances for the tall Dane. Plus, standing at over 6ft, Riis should join 'Souts' in actually getting his head to the ball in both boxes, perfect for the plethora of set pieces we should have.
Wes Burns - 6/10
I was initially excited for this transfer. If Russell Martin uses the other former Ipswich man well, we have a direct and crossing-first option who can beat his man and create chances in the centre for a strong centre-forward such as Admir Bristric and Emil Riis. However, thanks to his existing games for the club, we know that another signing has shown a better creative spark and performed better, possibly relegating Burns to a supportive and 'seeing the game out' role when we are winning.
Warren O'Hora - 6/10
I find Warren O'Hora a difficult one to judge. On the one hand, Martin knows the player and trusts him to perform at this level. On the other hand, he is a centre-back or right-back who likes to get forward, but misses most of his chances. He does win more of his challenges than he loses defensively, but he does not possess the highest tackle rate or blocking rate of defenders, having only kept eight clean sheets in the 2025-26 season. So, time will have to tell; he has the experience, but I do not know if he will be any better than Caleb Okoli or the well-working partnership of Luke Thomas and Souts.
Liam Cullen - 6/10
The former Swansea player is one of those we have had the opportunity to see in action and judge accordingly. As a forward/AM, he has shown some signs of being able to link up play well with wingers and the centre-forward, but has been ineffective in finding a final pass or when shooting. The player does possess versatility in coming deep to support progression, so Cullen ought to end up as one of those squad players who is useful but not better than any others we would rather have on the pitch... except for Bobby De Cordova-Reid; I would much rather have Cullen than a forward who could not finish his dinner.
Kamari Doyle - 6/10
With Harry Winks and Oliver Skipp both gone, Louis Page and John Lundstram will make up most of that box-to-box midfield role, with Sammy Braybrooke and Liam Cullen supporting. Doyle is another young and energetic Brighton loanee, and will probably stay on the bench while Page and Braybrooke take centre stage. However, we had a gap to fill, and have filled it with someone who can match Page's energy rather than simply another experienced signing.
Franco Ravizzoli - 4/10
It might be a bit harsh on the third-choice goalkeeper, but to say we did not need him, and that only because of a possible injury to the Polish No.1 will we remotely have a chance of seeing him in the EFL Trophy, the signing was a waste of money. We could have just used an academy keeper as the third-choice occasionally on the bench and used the wages for another fullback option. So, although he may do well in the occasional match he plays, it is difficult to be positive about a third-choice.
Alex McCarthy - 3/10
The worst signing of the window. Despite his inspired heroics against Plymouth Argyle, the former Russell Martin player has returned to his head coach and, goodness, the keeper does not fit the system or the level, and has failed to show me why we pay his wages. Jakub Stolarczyk comes to claim high balls, supports possession retention, and catches rather than parries. McCarthy is the opposite, having no composure under pressure, leading to dangerous losses of possession where a better side would make us pay.
Leicester City have made a serious makeover possible with transfers and promoted youth players, and on the whole this is a positive window which will help us achieve our main goal: to get out of League One. There are some issues, and some signings who we will see little of, but it is an improvement on the uncaring deadwood we had previously.
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