Nothing makes the club and fans happier than a solid start to the new season. The summer transfer window is a great opportunity for clubs to gain momentum over the other clubs and stay ahead of the lot even before the season kicks off.
Leicester City have had a fruitful transfer window so far since they have got nearly everything they need on great deals. Brendan Rodgers has brought in reinforcements in the areas where Leicester City had been lacking last season and we are only halfway through the window. Here’s why Leicester City has had the best transfer business so far in Europe.
PATSON DAKA
Since Jamie Vardy is 34 now, Leicester can’t rely completely on him in front of goal. The club has found the perfect successor for the veteran since like him, Patson Daka loves to score as well. He has had the highest conversion rate compared to every player in Europe and scored 27 goals across all competitions for RB Salzburg last season. The 22-year-old centre-forward was also the top scorer of the Austrian Bundesliga.
The player is technically sound, has a strong positioning play and the icing on the cake is that he is double footed as well. A young prolific goal scorer is every club’s dream signing and Leicester City pulled the move almost effortlessly.
Many Premier League clubs were eying the Zambian but Leicester managed to steal the youngster under their noses. For a fee of about £23 million, the club has come away with a steal for a young player having the potential to be one of the best in the league.
RYAN BERTRAND
Leicester City never really bought a replacement for Ben Chilwell and they paid the price last season. With a complete squad, Leicester City surely had the potential to finish in a Champions League spot but were short on certain positions and left-back was one of them. With Christian Fuchs also gone, Brendan Rodgers had no choice but to make a new signing.
Ryan Bertrand was part of Chelsea’s Champions League winning squad of 2012. Bertrand has been playing Premier League football for more than a decade now and his leadership quality will come in handy in the dressing room. He is 31 now, but still has good pace and the ability to dart forward on the flanks.
Bertrand is defensively a great asset to have since he can also play as the centre-back occasionally. This will let the other fullback in the side play with more freedom, without worrying about the backline.
Although Bertrand is a good addition to the squad, he is only a temporary solution since he will probably hang up his boots in a couple of seasons. Leicester got him on a free transfer from Southampton which is great for the club as they don’t have to rush into getting anyone new for now. This has also helped them save money to pursue other transfer targets in this window.
BOUBAKARY SOUMARE
It may seem like Leicester already have plenty of depth in their midfield with Tielemans and Ndidi already doing well. Leicester would play in 4 major competitions simultaneously for the third season running, which is why having an extensive squad can never hurt. Soumare will act as a great substitute for the aforementioned defensive midfielders and since he is only 22 right now, Rodgers can shape him into their first-choice defensive midfielder for the future.
Soumare won’t really be helpful for Leicester on the front foot since his attacking stats are really poor. Defensively, the 22-year-old is a beast. He is 6’2” which gives him the advantage of aerial superiority in the box and his intercepting game is really strong.
He made 1.82 key interceptions per 90 and made 40 successful interceptions through the season. His passing is quite efficient as well and even though he doesn’t make a lot of progressive passes to the final third, he does enough to lay off the pressure from the defenders.
Leicester got the young French prodigy from Lille for a fee of £17 million. Since Lille has been facing financial trouble due to the pandemic, Leicester got the player at a bargain.
POTENTIAL TRANSFERS AHEAD
Leicester have pretty much addressed everything they needed to ahead of the season and the best part is they didn’t have to spend big bucks to do so. Leicester City conceded the highest number of goals among the top-8 clubs in the league which is a pressing concern if they are hoping to get into the Champions League next season.
Aston Villa and Bayer Leverkusen have reached an agreement for the transfer of Leon Bailey subject to the player completing a medical and finalising personal terms.
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) July 31, 2021
The club is heavily linked to Shalke’s Ozan Kabak who is looking for a new club. Schalke cannot afford to pay the player’s wages and hence they are looking into releasing him from the contract. Leicester could get another top talent on a free transfer which would be a boon for their finances. Even if the player is not released, Schalke should be persuaded with a cheap transfer fee.
Leicester were trying to get Leon Bailey in this summer but Aston Villa beat them to it. The Foxes are yet to find a good right-winger which would make this an outstanding transfer window. We are sure they are actively looking into options but as of now, there is no specific player they are set on going for. It has been great so far for Leicester and they would be hoping to not mess this up with a hasty decision.