Leicester City Transfer Analysis and Overview – 2024
Leicester City is one of the major Premier Clubs, which has a rich footballing history with one of the most remarkable folkloric tales. It is one of the oldest football clubs in English football history and enjoyed a great deal of success in the last decade. The most memorable feat in their domestic football history is their unforgettable Premier League title glory in the 2015/16 season, which they lifted in a commanding style with the help of some talented academy players and a sensible transfer strategy.
The Leicester City transfer ecosystem is quite simple to understand. They have been one of the biggest beneficiaries in the transfer market, given their strategy of buying and offloading footballers on the basis of their necessity. The Foxes’ approach to recruiting top players from the market has made waves in English football.
The club has seen varying degrees of success after their first-ever Premier League title almost a decade ago. They have an estimated net worth of around £850 million as of 2024.
Leicester City Transfers Club Performance History
Since lifting their first-ever Premier League title in 2016, the Foxes have always finished over 10th position in the Premier League points table for seven successive seasons before facing relegation in the 2021/22 season. This run for a club of them is not a small feat. The sole reason behind their new-found confidence is their transfer strategy which has been based on a pragmatic approach. It all started under Claudio Ranieri who was at the helm of King Power Stadium from 2015 to 2017. The main focus for the Foxes in the transfer market has always been finding hidden talents with great potential rather than spending big amounts on popular players.
This tactical move has paid off very well for Leicester City in recent years as big players like N’Golo Kante, Riyad Mahrez and James Maddison came to the club through small deals and emerged as the most influential Premier League players in no time.
Leicester City Transfer Strategy and Philosophy
Leicester City always look for players with talent who are overlooked by their rivals in the transfer market. Their recruitment model has been built on a clear vision – Sign relatively unknown players and develop them to become stars. These players have become pivotal to their success in both domestic and European tournaments alike.
The central figures in the revolution of Leicester City’s transfer philosophy were – Steve Walsh, the former head of recruitment and Jon Rudkin, the director of football of the club. They have changed the club’s approach to signing players from the transfer market and have built a long-lasting reputation for finding young emerging talents from different leagues across the world.
Remember Danny Drinkwater and Ben Chilwell from the Foxes’ 2015/16 Premier League campaign! The defensive duo, coming in on low-budget transfer deals, was central to their league success. Leicester’s transfer philosophy only allows the club to buy players on a limited budget and develop them into world-class players.
Leicester City Transfer 2024 Challenges & Criticisms
Since their promotion to the English top flight in 2014, the Foxes have spent more than £720 million in their transfers, making them one of the highest spenders amongst the top 10 teams in Premier League. Since 2015, many players have been brought in under Claudio Ranieri, Craig Shakespeare and Cuade Paul. Some of them cruised to the top ranks, while a few failed to impress at the highest level.
Players like Fousseni Diabate, Adrien Silva, Harry Winks and Callum Doyle were considered flops in Leicester City’s successful transfer history in recent times.
The Foxes bought nine players in total after overseeing a busy 2024 transfer market, but not all of them justified the heavy price tags. Their former coach Steve Cooper had to undergo a squad overhaul after the 2021/21 Premier League relegation. Amongst the 2024 transfer lot, the most criticised signing will definitely be Oliver Skipp, who left his boyhood club Tottenham Hotspur to come to King Power Stadium on a deal worth £25 million. The most challenging part in Leicester City’s transfer policy is that they have to wait for young talents to perfectly use their true potential. In many cases, these unfamiliar faces in the big transfer market lose into oblivion, leaving the club hanging by a thread.
Most Expensive Leicester City Transfers
After 2015, Leicester City have established itself as a title challenger in not only England but also in European football. Their growing influence across all competitions including Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League has attracted many big names in football and the King faithful has witnessed a plethora of talents since 2016.
Because of the club’s global prominence, they have also seen increased revenues, resulting in their more substantial transfer fees to be outlaid. The arrival of Youri Tielemans for a fee of £38.4 million has perfectly demonstrated Leicester City’s strength in the transfer market. On that note, let’s take a look at the most expensive Leicester City transfers in their history.
Player | Transfer fee | From (club) | Year |
Youri Tielemans | £38.4 million | AS Monaco | 2019 |
Wesley Fofana | £26 million | AS Saint-Etienne | 2020 |
Ayoze Perez | £24.8 million | Newcastle United | 2019 |
Islam Slimani | £23.2 million | Sporting CP | 2016 |
Leicester City Transfers New Signings 2024/25
Leicester City football club have been very busy in the 2024/25 summer transfer window, securing more than 10 players from various leagues. Following the shocking relegation to the EFL Championship in 2021, the club management went big to bring in top talents to bolster every section of the team. The most discussed transfer of this season is Oliver Skipp, who has joined the Foxes on a £25 million deal to fill in the void left by James Maddison. Apart from him, Jordan Ayew, Issahaku Fatawu and Caleb Okoli have been brought into the Leicester City setup.
Player | Transfer fee | From (club) |
Oliver Skipp | £25 million | Tottenham Hotspur |
Bilal El Khannouss | £15.4 million | KRC Genk |
Issahaku Fatawu | £12.5 million | Sporting CP |
Caleb Okoli | £10.5 million | Atalanta BC |
Jordan Ayew | £6.1 million | Crystal Palace |
Leicester City Transfers All Outgoing 2024/2025
The 2024/25 transfer window in summer has seen Leicester City going on a spending spree, handpicking forwards, midfielders and defenders to set the tone at their squad, re-establishing the faith of the supporters. However, they have also offloaded many top senior players like Kelechi Iheanacho, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Dennis Praet. A bunch of young players such as Ben Nelson, Tom Cannon and Harry Souttar have been sent on loan deals to make space in a congested squad.
Player | Transfer fee | Club (to) |
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall | £27.2 million | Chelsea |
Kelechi Iheanacho | Free | Sevilla |
Dennis Praet | Free | Royal Antwerp |
Harry Souttar | Loan | Sheffield United |
Top Signings for Leicester City in 2024-25
Leicester City have made multiple signings in the 2024/25 transfer market. The most notable transfer arrival for them has been in the form of Issahaku Fatawu. The Ghanaian right-winger has joined from Sporting CP and has already made a mark in English football, recording 2 assists in 11 appearances in the Premier League. Another big player, Jordan Ayew has also been in top form since joining the Foxes this season. The former Crystal Palace forward has accumulated 3 goals in the English top division.
Worst Signings for Leicester City in 2024-25
It will be unfair to the new players who have arrived at King Power Stadium this season if they are regarded as the worst signings for Leicester City. As these newcomers have not made a lot of appearances, it is difficult for them to blend into a new setup. However, according to many pundits, Olivier Skipp has been labelled as the worst signing for Leicester City this season, given the midfielder’s awful performances. The 23-year-old English professional has already made 11 appearances across all competitions but has miserably failed to produce any impressive display.
Leicester City Transfer Spend Till Now in 2024-25
Since 2014, Leicester City have been one of the top spenders in English football. In 2024/25 summer recruitment, the Premier League club spent just under £80 million to lure in more than 11 players. In their quest to bring clarity to the club, the Foxes splashed a big amount of cash, which later came under heavy criticism due to FFP rules. Despite facing a possible point-deduction scenario, they have been very active in the market. Despite many players leaving the club, decreasing the pressure on the wage structure, Leicester City earned around £30 million from player sales.
Total Spend | Total Received |
£76 million | £29.8 million |
FAQs
Q. What are the most significant transfers in Leicester City’s history?
The most significant transfers in Leicester City’s history are – N’Golo Kante, Riyad Mahrez, Youri Tielemans, Kasper Schmeichel and Jamie Vardy.
Q. Who is responsible for transfers at Leicester City?
Sporting Director Jon Rudkin is mainly responsible for transfers at Leicester City.
Q. What are some of the most expensive transfers in Leicester City’s transfer history?
Some of the most expensive transfers in Leicester City transfer history are – Youri Tielemans, Wesley Fofana and Ayoze Perez.
Q. What are Leicester City’s top transfers this season?
The top transfers for Leicester City this season are – Oliver Skipp, Jordan Ayew and Issahaku Fatawu.
Q. What are the youngest signings in Leicester City history?
The youngest signings in Leicester City’s transfer history are – Jamie Vardy and Ashley Chambers.
Q. Which is the most shocking transfer in Leicester City’s history?
The most shocking transfer in Leicester City’s history is the departure of N’Golo Kante.