Leicester City are still learning to cope with the exits of quite a few of their key players – but Enzo Maresca seems to be doing a fine job of steering the ship.
James Maddison, Youri Tielemans, Harvey Barnes and more have all left the club this summer, though the incomings of Harry Winks and Conor Coady have shown their outstanding pull at second tier level. With the season set to be a challenging one until the end of May, Football League World takes a look at four incomings and three outgoings that the Foxes could oversee this summer.
Here are four incomings that Leicester could register before the transfer window closes ahead of a gruelling Championship campaign.
According to Sports Digital, Leicester have ‘sped up’ their contact with Galatasaray winger Yunus Akgun.
The 23-year-old, who has five caps for Turkey, spent the entirety of last season in the Galatasaray men’s squad for the first time, and his efforts saw the famous club win the Super Lig for the first time in four years.
Taylor Harwood-Bellis
A player who won the Championship last season, Taylor Harwood-Bellis’ nous and recent experience at winning the league could be invaluable to Leicester as the season continues to burn on. The Manchester City defender has reportedly been told that he can leave the Etihad Stadium for as little at £15million despite being a key part of Burnley’s title win and captaining the England Under-21’s side to the Euros in the summer.
And with Leicester named as one of the potential destinations, a permanent move to a side that has been tipped with an instant return to the Premier League could work hand-in-hand.
Jesurun Rak Sakyi
Charlton’s Player of the Season in the last campaign, Rak-Sakyi returned to Crystal Palace with 15 goals from just 43 games from the wing, having started his loan spell at the Valley when he was just 19 years of age.
Stephy Mavididi has started the season in superb form, but there could well be a spot on the right-wing with Ayoze Perez departing the club and his stock on the up. Reports from Alan Nixon have linked him with a Midlands loan move.
Josh Brownhill
Yet another of the Burnley side that walked the second-tier last time out, Brownhill – who is the Clarets’ vice-captain – could be on his way out of Turf Moor with just a year left on his contract.
At 27 years of age, Brownhill has already racked up just under 200 Championship appearances, 79 Premier League appearances and two promotions in his EFL career. Burnley are reportedly looking for a fee of around £20m to prise their vice-skipper away but it remains to be seen whether that move will materialise.
Outs
And, on the contrary, here are the three outs we can envisage Leicester overseeing over the next two weeks…
Patson Daka
It didn’t quite work out for Zambian star Daka in the Premier League after his outstanding stint at Red Bull Salzburg; and with Jamie Vardy, Mavididi and Kelechi Iheanacho all ahead of Daka in the pecking order, it seems a matter of time until he leaves.
Everton were interested, though their pursuit of Willy Gnonto could prove pivotal – and Daka wouldn’t be short of admirers even if he was to head out on loan with Monaco supposedly joining the race.
Wout Faes
Another player who didn’t quite make the Premier League step-up. Faes’ young age, pedigree and excelling performances in the second-tier have reminded him that he should have enough in the tank to earn a move away – with Galatasaray supposedly interested – though he’ll already have pressure to succeed should that happen.
Boubakary Soumare
Soumare joined from Lille two years ago, but again, it’s a signing that just hasn’t really worked out for the Foxes. With Harry Winks and Cesare Casadei both being bought to join the midfield ranks as a result of James Maddison and Youri Tielemans departing, you can’t help but feel that Soumare is, at the very least, Leicester’s fifth-choice midfielder at the King Power. Sevilla have offered him an escape route, but his departure remains to be seen.