Midfielders
Harry Winks: Necessity to sell
Goodbye Harry.
Hamza Choudhury: Time to leave, although he probably won’t
Having failed to retain his place in the team when we were at the top end of the Premier League (x2), the middle of the Premier League (x2), bottom of the Premier League (x2), the top of the Championship (x1) and bottom of the Championship (x1), one does wonder what Choudhury’s level is?
In those seasons, there have also been loans to Watford and Sheffield United that didn’t turn into permanent deals, yet we keep renewing his contract regardless.
Like Luke Thomas, maybe League One is his level, and he’d be a good performer for us next year. Unlike Luke Thomas there’s been a lot more water gone under the bridge with Hamza, most recently getting into a row with Pompey fans from the bench after showing nothing like that sort of fight on it. Although he clearly loves the club, it’s best for both parties to part ways.
Oliver Skipp: Necessary sale
Although Skipp was in and out of the side throughout last season, he’s one of those players that will always gain affection from certain sections of our fan base who prioritise ‘putting a shift in’ over anything else.
For those of us who consider ‘putting a shift in’ to be the bare minimum when you’ve cost 20 million English pounds, his actual performances have been average at best, and he’s another who goes missing at the first sign of adversity.
Would he be an asset in League One? Of course he would. Can we carry his wages into that level? Almost certainly not. Any sale would be at a humungous loss though, which may indeed prevent such a thing happening. This conundrum could be a major headache over the summer.
Louis Page: Retain (if we can)
A player with real potential, who really should have had more minutes over the course of the season. Our two ‘reasonable’ spells in August and December coincided with Page being in the team, before his development for us was paused in the new year in favour of developing Divine Mukasa for Manchester City instead.
Page’s performances were rewarded externally though with selection for England Under 19s and through the Championship apprentice of the season award. This may have made other clubs take notice of this rising star and sense an opportunity to steal/rescue him from League One. As one of the few players who could command a significant fee, we may find it difficult to retain him for next season, which would be a real shame.
Silko Thomas: Retain
A regular in the matchday squad under Marti Cifuentes, Silko was one of the victims of Gary Rowett’s decision to prioritise playing the senior players that got us into this mess, rather than the younger ones who may have got us out of it. Expect him to be part of the squad next season.
Forwards
Abdul Fatawu: Absolutely necessary sale
Hallelujah! Finally, a non-academy player we should be able to turn a profit on. The club’s very existence could depend on us receiving a sizeable fee for Fatawu.
His ability to score incredible goals kept us in the ‘battle’ to stay up for far longer than we should have, but it is fair to say that his form wasn’t as good as it was in his first season under Enzo – not having Jamie Vardy to pass to having a lot to do with that.
Ludicrously criticised by some of the fan base (the same fans that prefer workmanlike players like Skipp rather than truly gifted and entertaining ones), it’ll be a long time before we see a player remotely near his level of ability in royal blue. The World Cup and then the Premier League beckons. Farewell my friend.
Stephy Mavididi: Necessary sale
My pick for Player of the Season in 2023/24, Mavididi was okay (comparatively speaking), if unspectacular, in the doomed Premier League season of 2024/25, but then completely anonymous in 2025/26. It’s hard to pick out many highlights outside of the goal on Saturday and, looking back, his continued selection feels like one of the aggravating factors of the relegation.
There are a few games where Mavididi has looked uncomfortable on the pitch and the footage of him yawning was one of the most telling moments of the season. Despite his poor displays, there are already rumours of interest from a couple of Spanish clubs and a departure for a nominal fee seems inevitable. Just don’t spill your popcorn over the carpet on your way out, Stephy.
Bobby De Cordova-Reid: Retain
Fellow TFW writer Becky Taylor tweeted over a year ago, when we were in the Premier League, a prediction that De Cordova-Reid would captain the team in League One…
Giving a then 31-year-old a three-year deal is almost unheard of for a Premier League club, but that’s Leicester City for you. De Cordova-Reid simply hasn’t got the pace or mobility to be as effective as we needed him to be, in both the Premier League and the Championship, but his football brain did enable a handful of good goals and assists.
Although his wages are likely to be a major issue for the accountants at the club, it’s very unlikely anyone will want to sign him ahead of what may well be his last season before retirement. Therefore, as foreseen by Becky, he’ll almost certainly be leading us out in August. At that level, perhaps it isn’t the end of the world.
Wanya Marcal: Manager’s call
After featuring in Enzo’s first few games, and scoring a worldie against Cardiff, Wanya Marcal was then jettisoned from the team and has rarely been seen since. With the number of predicted departures, he’s in with a shout for being involved next season.
Jeremy Monga: A very sad necessary sale
Still just 16 years of age, Monga has been around the first team squad for the whole of last season, although maybe didn’t get as much game time as everyone, including the player himself, might have predicted.
There have even been a few murmurs from some sections of the fan base about not seeing what the fuss is about – honestly, there’s just no hope for some people. The game time he’s had at his age is very rare. His stats aren’t that much different to Mavididi’s either, despite a comparative fraction of playing time.
Leicester City in 2025/26 hasn’t been a good environment for any player (nor any of the fans) but it’s been incredibly difficult for someone who’s not even an adult yet. Our predicament will force a reduced-price sale this summer, before we’ve had chance to fully experience his talent and fully build his value, which is a desperate shame. Every major club in England and Europe are looking at Monga, with good reason.
Jordan Ayew: Out of contract, goodbye
Ayew leaves after two years at the club, and with a fair bit of ill will sent his way from the terraces towards the end. As an impact sub, as he’s been for most of his career elsewhere, he’s compiled several highlights for us, virtually all of which have come in the last 10 minutes of games.
The problems have arisen when he’s been on the pitch for any amount of time during the previous 80. The decision to take Vardy’s number nine shirt was ill-advised, and there won’t be too many tears as he leaves.
Patson Daka: Out of contract
Signed five years ago, Daka’s time at the club has coincided with our rapid decline. His transfer fee, wages and poor performances are undisputedly one of the contributing factors.
Having failed to establish himself during any of his three Premier League seasons (10 goals in 76 games), he’s only managed 12 goals in 61 games across his two seasons at Championship level. One does wonder how far down the English pyramid he’d need to drop to get double figures for a season, let alone the magic 20?
His best game this season was in the FA Cup at League Two Cheltenham, which might be the answer. Despite spending four of his seasons here playing and training alongside Jamie Vardy, he’s not improved a single part of his game, which is the most disappointing part of it all. Daka becomes yet another player who was signed for a big fee, yet will leave for zilch.
Expect him to get picked up by a club in Europe, and probably pop up with the odd goal in the Conference League every now and again. It’s one of the few positives for next season that we won’t have to watch him play for us.
The Fosse Way 