Leicester City Summer Shopping 2022: Other Possibilities

We’ve worked very hard to identify the areas where we believe Leicester City should look to strengthen the squad this summer. However, there are numerous players who are linked to the club who don’t fit any of those roles and some of those links seem to have some basis in fact. This is normal: Clubs are always going to be linked to strikers because they’re fun. It’s like death, taxes, and Harry Kane’s trophy cabinet accumulating more dust: It’s inevitable.

At least we don’t appear to be pursuing any more right-backs...so far.

Anyway, here are some players who are either linked to City or might fulfil a specialist role for the club. And, speaking of inevitable, there’s one player who I’m going to keep putting on these lists until he retires because he just fits so well even though I’m resigned to the move never happening.

The player ratings are the rating from WhoScored.com. This time around, I’m using their rating when the player starts at their primary position. The prices come from Transfermarkt.com. The relationship between the site’s prices and the actual prices isn’t the strongest, but we have to start somewhere.

Players Linked to Leicester City

Charles De Ketelaere
Age: 21
Role: Centre-forward
Foot: Left
Club: Bruges
WhoScored Rating: 7.33
Transfermarkt Price: $33m

Photo by Maarten Straetemans/Isosport/MB Media/Getty Images

The Foxes are apparently drooling over the prospect of adding this Belgian forward to their ranks. At the tender age of 20, he scored 14 times and assisted 8 more in the Jupiler. He’s a hard worker who’ll do the defensive work and he’s adept at holding the ball. Standing 6’4”, you’d expect him to be a force in the air, but that will probably have to wait until his body fills out a little more. He’d be a remarkable centre-forward in a three-man attack, but do we really need another striker? Well, no. But actually, yes.

You see that bit about him being 6’4”? While we are chock full o’ strikers, they are all of similar stature. Having a taller attacker to give the defence something else to think about when plan A isn’t working would do wonders for this club. We might even score from a corner or two.

Joel Piroe
Age: 22
Role: Centre-forward
Foot: Left
Club: Swansea
WhoScored Rating: 6.91
Transfermarkt Price: $8.8m

Photo by Athena Pictures/Getty Images

It was a breakout season for Piroe, who netted 23 times for Swansea in the Championship and garnered 6 assists as well. His greatest strength is his ability to score from distance and his hold up play is excellent as well. I see him as a potential second striker, playing behind Vardy or Daka. The numbers bear this out: He scores 11 times in 27 matches when playing as a striker; 10 times in 14 matches when serving as an attacking midfielder. He probably isn’t quite as neat a fit as De Ketelaere, but he could still be a useful player for the Foxes.

Robert Sanchez
Age: 24
Role: Goalkeeper
Foot: Right
Club: Brighton and Hove Albion
WhoScored Rating: 6.63
Transfermarkt Price: $14.5m

Photo by David Horton - CameraSport via Getty Images

There have been suggestions that Kasper Schmeichel may be on his way out of the King Power. He’s mentioned “wanting a new challenge” and “wanting to play European football” and he’s not getting either of those at City unless he resumes his brief career as a striker.

I’ll be honest here: I have no clue how to rate goalkeepers. My sense is that, unless you are getting the absolute best, you don’t want to spend a ton of money on one. Is Sanchez the absolute best? No, but there’s a non-zero chance he might be. He’s only 24, he’s a Presence-with-a-capital-P in the box, and he’s clearly not intimidated by the Premier League. The corner is that the asking price is supposed to be 50m, which seems high to me. He’d be good; I don’t know if he’d be 50m good.

Maxwel Cornet
Age: 25
Role: Centre-forward
Foot: Left
Club: Burnley
WhoScored Rating: 6.64
Transfermarkt Price: $15.4m

Photo by Dave Howarth - CameraSport via Getty Images

In spite of the middling rating, Cornet impressed last year for Burnley, scoring 9 times in ~2000 minutes. He’s very athletic, very direct, and a nightmare to defend. He was primarily deployed as a striker last year, but he did spend significant time as a left-sided midfielder. The only scenario where I see Cornet making sense for Leicester is if Lookman isn’t signed, as they fill similar roles.

Other of Interest

Thiago Almada
Age: 21
Role: Attacking midfielder
Foot: Right
Club: Atlanta
WhoScored Rating: 7.14
Transfermarkt Price: $19.8m

Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images

I know we’re talking about an MLS player here, but Almada has all of the traits you’d want to see in an attacking midfielder . In 33 matches, he’s started on both wings, as a central attacking midfielder, and even a central midfielder. He’s been excellent in every role and his bag of tricks rivals that of Felix the Cat. Passing, dribbling, crossing, through balls, hold-up play, set pieces...you name it, he can do it. He’s only 21 and he’s only going to get better. There’s a lot of risk here, both personal and professional, as he hasn’t done it against top competition, but someone’s going to give him that chance.

Robert Skov
Age: 26
Role: All of them
Foot: Left
Club: Hoffenheim
WhoScored Rating: 6.76
Transfermarkt Price: $8.8m

Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images

It was always going to end with Skov. If I were to sign one player to fill multiple positions for Leicester...OK, it probably wouldn’t be Skov, but he’d be on the list. He’s spent most of his career splitting time as a left-back and right attacking midfielder. He’s also been deployed across the midfield as well. He’s a left-footed set-piece specialist who is also an excellent crosser. You’re not going to get a lot of goals with him, but you’re going to get a hard worker who can help you in multiple roles. Managers love guys like this. And, he’s a Dane, so if Kasper stays...

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You know the drill by now: If it were your money, which one of these gents, if any, would you be most likely to sign?

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