Just seven years after lifting the Premier League title, Leicester City have been relegated from England’s top division. As a result, a clear-out of Foxes stars surely beckons in the coming weeks.
Leicester will be in the Championship in 2023/24 following a dramatic last day. Despite beating West Ham 2-1, Everton’s victory against Bournemouth sealed the Foxes’ fate.
Of course, a team’s relegation is the culmination of a whole season of disappointment, not just one match. Leicester were one of the better scoring teams in the league, finding the net 51 times in 2022/23. But they could not prevent opponents from scoring, averaging 1.8 goals conceded each game.
They also had the second-most losses in the Premier League this season, with 22.
Now that they are down in the Championship, a whole host of players make look for the exit door at the club. But which Leicester stars might Premier League teams be most interested in?
Youri Tielemans
Fabrizio Romano has already confirmed that Youri Tielemans will be leaving Leicester this summer. Multiple Premier League sides have registered interest in the midfielder – although they could face competition from abroad.
Speculation has put the Belgian on the radar of Arsenal, Liverpool, and Barcelona to name a few.
An accomplished midfielder who can play as a No.8 or in a deep-lying role, Tielemans was a regular in the Leicester side. He averaged more than 50 passes per game, whilst also showing his shooting threat with a couple of long-range bangers.
The Belgian can also be a handy defender in the middle of the park when he wants to be.
If a side on the continent does not snipe him as a free agent, expect to see Youri Tielemans in the Premier League next season.
James Maddison
Like Tielemans, Maddison is another Leicester star that is destined to return to the Premier League. His nine goals and ten assists put him as the Foxes’ clearest attacking threat, as well as their creative spark.
The Englishman made 2.3 key passes per game, plus 1.5 successful dribbles per game. He truly was the catalyst for this Leicester side’s attack, whether from a No.10 slot or from wider positions.
Multiple Premier League teams were linked to the Leicester star before their relegation. Now that the Midlands side is in the second tier, Maddison will surely have to leave the King Power Stadium this summer.
Harvey Barnes
Another player in Leicester’s midfield, left-winger Harvey Barnes was their top scorer in the Premier League.
Barnes hit 13 goals domestically – his best-ever tally in a single campaign. The Englishman’s best run came when he scored four goals in five matches at the end of October. During those games, Leicester also took four wins from five.
A direct dribbler, the 25-year-old could prove useful to a number of Premier League teams. A handful of sides are already circling around Barnes, hoping to secure him on a cheaper deal. For instance, The Daily Mail says that Spurs and Newcastle are vying for his services – as well as for James Maddison.
Therefore, it seems unlikely that Harvey Barnes will be with Leicester on the opening day of the Championship.
Kelechi Iheanacho
Kelechi Iheanacho must have been quite frustrated during the 2022/23 season. He only started in 11 of his 28 league appearances – despite putting up some decent underlying stats.
The Nigerian was able to put himself in solid scoring positions when he was on the pitch. He had the twelfth best xG per 90 in the division in 2022/23 – although this only translated to five goals.
However, four of the striker’s five goals came during his 11 starts. Additionally, four of Iheanacho’s five assists in this campaign came when picked in the starting XI, too.
Maybe, with a frequent run in a team, the forward can demonstrate his ability to regularly find the net. Iheanacho has proven his quality in the past; he scored 12 goals during the 2020/21 season from just 25 PL appearances.
If Leicester make him available on a lower deal, maybe a Premier League side will take a chance on him.
With the likes of Caglar Soyuncu already on their way out, the Foxes will likely have a very different team by the start of 2023/24. It will be fascinating to see if they can immediately bounce back up from relegation.
Featured image credit: Getty
