Leicester City are not messing around this summer. The Foxes came into the summer off the back of a very poor season which saw their nine-year stay in the Premier League come to an end. They could have wallowed in their pity deliberating over just what went wrong for a side that was finishing in the top six not that long ago.
Instead they’ve turned their attention to the task in hand; getting the club back on track and trying to gain an immediate return back to the promised land. They moved quickly to secure their new manager after it was decided that Dean Smith was not the right coach to fulfil the long-term vision and they have pulled off an exciting appointment in Enzo Maresca.
The Italian is expected to bring an attractive style of football to the King Power Stadium but of course that can only be achieved with players who suit his system. This is also another aspect in which the club hierarchy is working efficiently.
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Maresca is believed to be close to bringing Tottenham Hotspur outcast Harry Winks to LE2 in a £10 million deal to help form the Foxes’ new-look midfield. Star midfielder James Maddison is on the cusp of going the other way for £40 million and Leicester have already lined up some strong targets to aid Maresca in his promotion push.
Wolverhampton Wanderers defender Conor Coady looks to be dropping down a division to help organise the Foxes’ defence which was unwittingly poor last term. The 30-year-old played his part in keeping Everton up on loan at Leicester’s expense, and it appears that this transfer is moving quickly.
Coady offers leadership, something that was lacking last year. There’s a reason Gareth Southgate loved to keep him in the England squad and that was because of his qualities both on and off the pitch. Leicester’s dressing room needs strong heads and he is just that.
It is certainly giving the fans something to get excited about, along with being linked with Swansea City’s star striker Joel Piroe, who scored 41 Championship goals in the past two seasons. With fresh ideas needed up front, the Dutchman has proven himself at this level and it is no wonder Maresca is interested in his services.
The fans have had a rough few months in which they have been unhappy with the organisation of the club from top to bottom but it looks as though that the board are getting their act together to rectify last year’s mistake.
Leicester are viewed as the favourites to win the title in 2023-24 and if they get some of these targets on board, it will only strengthen their credentials. With a handful of fresh faces and the remaining players who may not be able to pick up top flight interest this summer, there is potential for this squad to take the second tier by storm.
Players such as James Justin, Harry Souttar and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall all have a wealth of experience in the Championship and they are likely to be some of the best players in the division if they remain as key members of Maresca’s squad.
The noises coming out of the King Power Stadium this early in the transfer window are really positive and are giving the supporters a much-needed lift after the heartbreak they endured in the last campaign. By the time their league opener against Coventry City rolls around, we could be looking at a completely different Leicester City.
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