Which Leicester City player has the biggest point to prove in pre-season?

If he stays, or rather if he wants to stay then Çağlar Söyüncü. His development seems to have stalled and more frustratingly was that when we really needed him to step up last season, he didn't. Where he'd previously looked calm and composed on the ball, he looked rash, unsure and got caught out too often. Something the younger, more inexperienced Fofana so rarely does.

It felt pretty clear that without the older head of a Jonny Evans type player next to him, Söyüncü couldn't be trusted. So much so that a midfield choice like Wilfred Ndidi felt like a safer bet. He certainly didn't do Daniel Amartey any favours in games they started together either.

It's confusing because after we sold Harry Maguire, he more than filled that hole, seemingly ahead of a man we'd just made £80 million on. Perhaps he's just not comfortable with the type of back-line and style Rodgers is always leaning toward, or maybe he isn't as versatile as we thought.

With both Evans and Fofana, it feels like you could partner them with most people and they'd make it work. There's a big question mark over Söyüncü in that respect now and injuries notwithstanding, he'd need to do something in pre-season to guarantee more game time this year.

There's an argument that Ayoze Perez has a point to prove, although I'm no longer sure who to. Despite coming off the bench and actively making things happen a few times last season, he still couldn't force his way into Brendan's plans and the Spaniard has never had the majority of the Foxes faithful fully on side due to inconsistent outputs and lack of a clear, best position.

Helen Nutter

Provided he stays, Youri Tielemans is the obvious answer. His performances were lacking at times last season, and all of the speculation of having his head turned would mean fans on his back immediately after a bad performance.

But for me, Patson Daka is the one who has the biggest point to prove. We say this every year, but we really don't know how long Jamie Vardy has left at full pelt; and having seen life without him for a significant spell, a ready successor is probably the most important requirement for the club's short-term future.

Ryan Hubbard

Boubakary Soumare has it all to prove in pre-season. When he signed, excitement was through the roof with yet another of Europe’s most highly-rated youngsters joining the club. However, the move clearly hasn’t worked out, with limited minutes and rumours of personal issues last season. 

There’s a quality player in there and he can provide that spark of creativity that Leicester lack at times. Some fans don’t rate him and Rodgers is seemingly happy to let him leave if an offer comes in. If he is wanting to hang around in the Premier League, he will have to prove he can put in the effort and commit himself to performing to his best ability at the club.

Jack Johnson

This might be moot shortly, but Boubakary Soumare. Leicester's midfield has a powerful front line, but as soon as anyone breaks through the lads at the front you realise there's nothing between them and the children in the rear. This is true both in terms of how they play football and how much depth there is.

Ndidi-Tielemans-KDH is a really good midfield. But Wilf is recovering from a fairly serious injury, Tielemans probably isn't going to be here, and KDH has only had six months at the top level. That's a precarious situation given the lack of depth behind them.

Soumare is the one player in the squad who I haven't made up my mind about and there's a big opening for a player in that position to establish themselves. If he has any rope left, it's clearly a very short one, but he could still win people back around in a position where we're going to need someone to step up - especially early on if Tielemans goes and he isn't replaced until late in the window.

James Knight

Based on his comments, Jannik Vestergaard clearly feels he has a lot more to offer and shouldn’t be judged on last season’s displays. Jonny Evans, too, has questions marks over his fitness, and will need to prove he can regain the consistency we’ve seen from him in years past.

But I’m going to say Harvey Barnes. Barnes is an explosive player who blows hot and cold more often than a British summer. Is he a European-quality winger capable of regularly pulling on a England shirt? Or a mid-table man who scores three in as many games then goes missing for five?

Now 24, this upcoming season feels like a pivotal one that will go a long way to answering that question. Over to you, Harvey.

Charlie Carmichael

So many candidates. It’s a big season for Wilfred Ndidi. We’ve had a few examples recently of players who have suffered mid-to-long-term injuries and haven’t been themselves when they came back. We can’t really afford for Ndidi not to return to his best though, especially if Youri Tielemans eventually leaves this summer.

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve walked out of the ground with my dad after a game and our traditional “Who was Man of the Match then?” conversation includes me suggesting Wilf.

Prior to last season he’d always been so reliable, both in terms of availability to play and quality on the pitch. He’s not alone in failing to meet both criteria over the past twelve months but that position protecting the back four is so vital when the defence isn’t full-strength and his height was frequently missed when defending set pieces.

David Bevan

It's time Ayoze Perez finally justified his price tag. Not helped by us paying £30m for him and being shoved out on the right-hand side to replace the most talented player we've ever had, he has never really looked comfortable in our system or style of play.

His return of 14 goals and 11 assists in 101 appearances (65 starts) most of which seemingly are against Southampton and Sheffield United doesn't make for good reading but there is undoubtedly a very talented player in there and he has showed glimpses of what he is capable of in spells.

During 2020/21 he looked impressive behind two strikers in the 3-4-1-2 system, although we have better options through the middle. He took his goal against Napoli last season very well and turned the game on its head in the second half at PSV Eindhoven. Ask any of the squad and they will tell you he is the most skilful and technically gifted player in training.

His record of 48 goals and 17 assists in 195 games (152 starts) at Newcastle shows he is a talented player, although whether he is good enough for a side that want to push for the top six and a place in Europe again remains to be seen. I am desperate for him to succeed this season and while he may not be first choice for the right-wing slot, he can still be a valuable asset for us this season.

Jordan Halford