It looked at one stage as though Leicester City were going to run away with the Championship title to earn promotion and silverware with ease, but recent results have seen them pegged back and Ipswich level things up at the top of the table. Now, the newly-promoted side are only behind the Foxes on goal difference. In Enzo Maresca’s most difficult period in charge yet, the international break came at the perfect time, with the former Manchester City assistant now tasked with avoiding a third consecutive defeat when his side return to action against Watford.
As the January window approaches, Maresca may even have his eye on reinforcements to bolster Leicester’s promotion chances even further. The Italian will also have to ensure that his current stars stay put, however, in order to keep them on track for the Premier League. That task doesn’t look set to be a simple one, though, given recent news about one specific forward.
Leicester City transfer news
The Foxes did well to keep hold of many of their key players during the summer window, only bidding farewell to James Maddison, Youri Tielemans and Harvey Barnes when it comes to big names. Whilst those three left, the likes of Jamie Vardy, Ricardo Pereira and Wilfred Ndidi stayed put to give Leicester one of the most impressive Championship sides on paper in recent memory.
Facing the task of keeping players again in January, this time they might not be so fortunate. According to 90Min, Fenerbahce have identified Kelechi Iheanacho as their number one target to replace Michy Batshuayi in the winter window.
The Turkish club could get a cut-price deal due to the fact that the forward’s contract is set to come to an end in the summer of next year. The deal could also be made easier by the fact that Fenerbahce president Ali Koç has worked with Iheanacho’s agency, ROGON, more than any other since his election.
Leicester should keep “great” Iheanacho
With Jamie Vardy not getting any younger, keeping hold of Iheanacho should be seen as crucial for Leicester and Maresca, especially if they reach the Premier League. The former Manchester City striker has scored five goals in eight Championship starts this season and as the fixtures come thick and fast, those numbers could only improve as his minutes increase. When compared to Vardy’s numbers, Iheanacho’s stats show that he is doing more than enough to earn a starting place every week, too.
Player | Goals | Assists | Progressive Carries | Progressive Passes |
Kelechi Iheanacho | 5 | 1 | 15 | 20 |
Jamie Vardy | 4 | 1 | 4 | 9 |
The Nigerian is a player who has earned plenty of praise throughout his time at Leicester, including from former boss Brendan Rodgers, who said following Iheanacho’s international performance via the Leicester City X account: “It was a brilliant strike, I thought Nigeria looked really good, you could see the players of quality they have in the team. Kel’s shown in the last 18 months that he can score goals. It was a great strike, so I’m pleased for him.”
