Eight realistic summer signings who would take Leicester City straight back to the Premier League

Leicester City’s unforeseen relegation from the Premier League has placed a talented squad at the start of an unplanned rebuild, and there will be some major movements at the King Power Stadium this summer.

Most of the media focus will, understandably, be on the high-profile outgoings, with players like James Maddison and Harvey Barnes fleeing the nest, but the replacements will be just as interesting – Leicester will be one of the wealthiest clubs in the Championship and should have the cash and clout to put one of the best squads in the second tier together over the coming months.

Today, we’re going to look at eight players Leicester should seriously consider as they look to build a squad that can make it back to the top flight at the first attempt. Some have already been linked with a move to the Midlands – others are our own suggestions for players who could improve the team. None of them are as good as Maddison or Barnes, truth be told – but then Leicester’s disastrous season has made them beggars, not choosers.

Tom Cairney

The 32-year-old creative midfielder has one year left on his contract at Craven Cottage and has fallen largely out of favour with Marco Silva – and so should be available for a relatively reasonable fee for any clubs looking to, say, replace a key creative midfield player. Cairney has an exceptional track record in the Championship, being a key player at Blackburn Rovers before excelling with Fulham’s promotion sides. A proven force at Leicester’s new level and likely a fine signing for any team with ambitions of finishing in the top two.

Adam Wharton

Let me preface this by pointing out that I am a Blackburn fan, and would seriously consider losing one of my less important appendages before letting the 19-year-old midfielder leave. One of my cricket club’s players has gone for much of his life without two of his toes, and it doesn’t seem to have affected his batting too much.

Nevertheless, the hugely talented young box-to-box man has impressed enough in his first senior season to be linked with a host of Premier League clubs, and Leicester were mentioned prior to their relegation. He’d probably cost a few quid, but could well be the building block for a successful long-term side. Ideally, that would be Blackburn, of course.

James McAtee

The young Manchester City attacking midfielder had an impressive season on loan at Sheffield United as the Blades finished second in the Championship, scoring nine goals, and the 20-year-old could easily be available for another campaign in the second tier. Although he missed out on the squad for the European Under-21 Championships this summer, he’s still an impressive player and adds versatility, able to play either centrally or on the flank – pretty handy when you have to replace both Maddison and Barnes at the same time.

Andrew Moran

A dangerous and prodigiously talented young Irish midfielder, the 19-year-old Brighton player could well be sent out on loan this summer to get some more experience under his belt. He made a couple of senior appearances but mostly impressed in the Seagulls’ Under-23 squad, scoring 11 goals and assisting six more. Any club looking to add a bit of a threat from behind the front line without spending an excessive amount of cash should probably be making some enquiries of the Sussex club, who have been happy to use the loan system in recent seasons with players like Reda Khadra and Jan Paul van Hecke having excellent spells in the second tier.

Jerry Yates

The 26-year-old Blackpool striker has already emerged as a top target for a team who could lose any number of their forwards this summer – and if players like Kelechi Iheanacho and Patson Daka do depart, they could do a lot worse than to spend a reported £4m on a man who netted 14 times for the relegated Tangerines last term. A hugely flexible forward who can play anywhere across the front three – and has even deputised as a right wing-back in recent times – he would add both a goal threat and some tactical depth to the Leicester squad. Several other sides, including Coventry City and Luton Town, are also reported to be in the market.

Keane Lewis-Potter

One of the best players in the second tier during his time at Hull City, the 22-year-old notched a double-digit return for the Tigers in the 2021/22 season to earn himself a move to Brentford. Things haven’t gone well down in London, however, with the wide forward struggling to earn a starting spot before injury wrecked the second half of his campaign. Hull allegedly launched an audacious bid to bring him to the KC Stadium in January and while that failed, it would be easy to imagine Brentford letting the young man get some minutes on loan next year, or even leave on a permanent deal. Would be about as good a replacement for Barnes as you could possibly get at the Championship level.

Viktor Johansson

Another area Leicester may well want to address is that of their goalkeeper, with neither Danny Ward nor Daniel Iversen really nailing the number one jersey down during a disappointing season. If they do decide to find a new man between the sticks, they might do well to look at Rotherham United’s Swedish stopper, who was let go by the Foxes in 2020 after failing to break into the first team but has flourished since, impressing immensely as Rotherham defied the odds to stay up last season. He’s a relatively old-fashioned player – no sweeper-keeper stuff going on here – but he’s a fine shot-stopper and good against crosses, which is pretty handy in the Championship.

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Ilias Chair

A reported target before relegation was confirmed, QPR’s Moroccan maestro may well be interested in a move to a bigger club following a season of struggle down in west London. Chair is one of the best creative players in the Championship at the moment with a good passing range, a knack for sharp interchanges around the area, and plenty of class with the ball at his feet. A number ten who was a part of Morocco’s heroic World Cup squad, he’d be a superb replacement for Maddison if a deal could be done. Incidentally, it’s pronounced more like “Ky-ear” – not like something you sit on. Please pass the message on to any commentators you encounter on your travels. A small prize may exist for the first person in English broadcast media to pronounce it properly.