The Fosse Way

This is a summer like no other. Our financial predicament is perilous and thoughts turn to what has to happen to prevent numerical armageddon.

In truth, even a fire sale may not be enough. It’s lot of work for any club, but especially ours as traditionally, Leicester City operate very slowly.

We have to retain hope though, so here goes with the question of who stays, who goes and who waits patiently for a manager to be appointed and run the rule over them?

Goalkeepers

Jakub Stolarczyk: Retain

A mixed season for our Polish keeper. A good start led to Stolarczyk being in the reckoning for ‘Player of the first 10 games’ back in early autumn. Sadly, his form tailed off following some niggly injuries, leading to him losing his place in the team. Is he a Premier League level keeper? Probably not. Championship? Maybe. League One? He’ll be fine.

Asmir Begovic: Out of Contract, Goodbye

Brought in to add ‘experience’, but in reality, all Begovic did was replace Conor Coady as podcaster-in-chief. Looked every one of his 38 years when he played and sounded like he was simply going through the motions when he was interviewed. Another one for the bonfire of failed transfers.

Fran Vieites: Can’t see him wanting to stay

We’ve no idea how good Vieites is as he’s yet to play a game for us. Like Leicester, he was playing European football recently but now finds himself in League One. The fact Begovic was selected ahead of him by all three managers doesn’t bode well. Surely, he won’t want to stick around (unless, of course, he got a ‘Rudkin Special’ bumper contract).

Defenders

Ben Nelson: Necessary sale

Although by far and away our best centre back this season, even ‘Big Ben’ had the odd wobble in games before an injury curtailed his season towards the end. Ludicrously ignored by Marti Cifuentes for the first few months, he went on to more than prove himself as a Championship level player (alongside his good work at Oxford last season).

Nelson is one that will want to challenge himself at that level, if not higher. As one of just a handful of players that could command a significant transfer fee, we’ll have to sell him. But, with just one year left on his contract, the club isn’t in a strong bargaining position so the fee will be a lot less than we’d ideally want.

Caleb Okoli: Necessary sale

After settling in during his first season, Okoli has generally been first choice for most of this one. He has all the physical attributes you’d want in a modern-day centre back, but he has real difficulties with his distribution, even at Championship level.

Okoli has been linked with moves back to his native Italy throughout his time here and he’s sure to prefer Serie A to League One. We’ll hope to get some money back, but it’ll be at a lower price than we bought him for. As is always the case with Italian teams though, they’ll plead poverty and probably try to negotiate a loan deal… without a loan fee… with no obligation to buy… with us covering part of his wages… and only agree on deadline day.

Harry Souttar: Retain (if we can)

Welcome back! Having not played for 18 months following a serious injury when on loan at Sheffield United, it’s great to seeing Souttar playing again. Looking ahead, a short spell in League One might actually be what he needs to get his career back on track.

Although out of favour with Enzo Maresca in 2023/24, Souttar’s games for us, and previously with Stoke and Sheffield United, prove he’s definitely Championship quality, so he’d be a real asset in League One if we can keep him. The only issue here is his ‘signed for us when we were in the Premier League’ wages. They may well be too high and necessitate a sale or loan away, even with multiple deductions following relegation.

Victor Kristiansen: Necessary sale

Having signed Kristiansen for a sizeable fee for a 20-year-old, the plan would have been to have sold him by now and made a tidy profit. Sadly, that sort of business is something you read about in Of Fossils and Foxes, with it feeling like a lifetime since we’ve been regularly able to develop a player to create a profit.

Kristiansen’s lack of height, pace, positional sense and bravery mean he’s been poor at Premier League level, poor in the Championship and lost his place in the Denmark squad. Therefore, I expect him to get a move to a German team, win the Bundesliga and then score the winner in a Champions League Final. Standard.

Ricardo Pereira: Out of contract, a sad goodbye

Oh Ricky, why did it have to end like this? One of the best right backs in the Premier League during his early years, before numerous serious injuries robbed him of what could have been a stellar career. He’s not has a great season, as age and injury caught up with him and sadly, he hasn’t come across as particularly inspirational when interviewed. 

But… there are a lot of memories in the tank from happier times with Ricky P, particularly the winners against Manchester City and PSV Eindhoven. I wish him well wherever he goes next.

Jannik Vestergaard: Necessary sale

Vestergaard has become the poster boy for our bad recruitment, our bad renewal of contract policy and our policy of allowing bad players to ‘treat Seagrave like a spa’ (or doggy day care in his case).

We saw the best of him in the first half of Enzo’s season, where the team functioned well and he didn’t have to do too much defending. When he has had to defend, he’s been found wanting. Always the very first to disappear when the pressure is on, he now moves around the pitch like a pensioner playing walking football.

It was ludicrous that we gave a player in his thirties a three-year deal when we did, and with one year left, we simply must move him on and get his wages off the books. Surely even Seagrave isn’t so nice that he’d want to stay and play in League One either? Expect him to be loaned somewhere, rather than anyone paying us a fee. But that’ll do to get his wages and ‘presence’ away from the club.

Jamaal Lascelles: Out of contract, retain (if we can)

Although I’ve said previously that I’d be happy for anyone who’s played this year and is over 22 years old to leave, I would possibly make an exception for Lascelles. It was always going to be difficult for him with his lack of game time preceding his move here, but he does bring some leadership and experience.

Unfortunately, whatever combination of defenders we’ve played this season, we’ve continued to haemorrhage goals, but Lascelles’s personal performances have been okay as his fitness improves. Would he accept a League One-level contract though?

Luke Thomas: Retain

There have been a lot of crazy things published by the Leicester City comms department over the past year, but the news that Luke Thomas had been offered and agreed a new four-year contract had fans double-checking it wasn’t a parody account.

How his performances warranted a new deal has never been explained. Nor have the reasons behind the decision to turn down an offer from Hoffenheim last summer. Either way, nobody will want to buy him now.

After his struggles in the Premier League and the Championship, Thomas may well find his level in League One. He clearly loves the club, but his performances and influence on the pitch need to start matching the faith the club has shown in him.

Olabade Aluko: Retain

Criminally underused over the course of last season, Aluko was thrown in the deep end by Cifuentes away at Southampton, leading to a red card before half time. That aside, he offers us the two things we’ve desperately lacked at full back – pace and height.

So it’s disappointing that Aluko hasn’t had more minutes this season, especially when you consider the performances of those chosen ahead of him. In ‘normal’ circumstances, people would say he needs a loan to League One to prove himself. Well, that’s where we are now. Hopefully he’ll be one of the stars of the season next term, as he finds his way in first team football.