How Fotis Ioannidis Could Solve Leicester City’s Immediate Crisis and Year-Long Striker Problem

Right now, Leicester City are in such a desperate situation that any striker will do. Jamie Vardy and Patson Daka are injured, and Tom Cannon seems to be unfavored by Steve Cooper, with winger Stephy Mavididi chosen over the young forward on Saturday.

Even before this crisis, a new striker was desirable for City. While Vardy scored 20 goals last season, he only managed three in his last Premier League campaign and will turn 38 in January.

Daka has not scored for City since February, and Cannon has very little senior experience, especially in the Premier League.

Moreover, Vardy, Daka, and Cannon are quite similar in style. All three prefer playing on the shoulder of the last defender, using pace to run into space.

There are nuances to their games that differentiate them: Vardy has greater nous inside the penalty area, Daka presses well, and Cannon has more power in his body and shot.

However, none of the three look comfortable receiving the ball with their back to goal, a requirement in Enzo Maresca’s plan and continued under Steve Cooper.

Vardy is the best at it among the trio, but he is not a natural.

City has lacked variety in their striker options since the start of the year when Maresca all but stopped considering Kelechi Iheanacho.

While Iheanacho may have underperformed last season, he did provide something different.

So, this summer, City needed to sign a striker who offered an alternative. Enter Fotis Ioannidis.

The Panathinaikos and Greece frontman is reportedly the subject of a £22m bid from City.

If a deal can be wrapped up quickly, he could lead the line against Spurs next Monday.

One look at Ioannidis reveals he is different from City’s current strikers. Standing at 6ft 2in, the 24-year-old is big and broad-shouldered, unlike the slighter Vardy and Daka. He uses his build to his advantage, fending off defenders who close him down.

This should allow him to hold up the ball more effectively, bring wingers and attacking midfielders into play, and spin center-backs who try to press him, a key feature of his game.

But he’s not just a physical presence; he’s nimble for his size, makes runs into space, and dribbles well.

Most importantly, his goal tally is impressive. He scored 23 times last season, netting mostly with his preferred right foot but also chipping in with headers and left-footed goals.

There are naturally doubts about how such a record would translate from the Greek Super League to the Premier League, but he did score five goals in six Europa League games and added a couple in Champions League qualifying.