How Leicester City Broke Transfer Tradition to Remove Excuses in Their Survival Gamble
Leicester City Signed Five Players from Premier League Rivals This Transfer Window, Matching Their Total from the Previous Five Summers
It may come as a surprise, but in terms of net spend, this summer’s transfer window could be Leicester City’s largest ever.
Of the nine players signed, six arrived for a fee, bringing the club’s total expenditure to around £80 million.
With Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall departing for £30 million and other players like Lewis Brunt and Zach Booth sold for minimal amounts, the net spend stands at roughly £50 million.
Given the lack of detailed fee disclosures and the potential for add-ons, it’s difficult to pinpoint the exact spending.
However, that £50 million net spend narrowly surpasses City’s previous record from the summer of 2021.
That year was an anomaly, as there were no major player sales.
In 2021, Kamal Sowah’s departure for a fee potentially rising to £7.5 million marked the club’s most profitable exit, while the signings of Patson Daka, Boubakary Soumare, and Jannik Vestergaard, for a combined £55 million, represented significant outlay.
This summer being potentially Leicester’s biggest ever is notable for several reasons.
First, the club wasn’t especially active throughout the entire window, with a three-week gap in late July and early August without new arrivals.
Second, despite the large spend, Leicester didn’t rank among the Premier League’s top spenders.
In terms of net spend, they were eighth in the league, while their fellow promoted clubs outspent them—Southampton ranked sixth, and Ipswich, with a net spend of around £123 million, were second only to Brighton.
Additionally, the excitement around Leicester’s new signings seemed more muted. High-profile or mysterious new faces typically generate fan enthusiasm.
While Bilal El Khannouss may not be a household name, the 20-year-old Moroccan international’s vision and creativity have fans intrigued.
On the other hand, signings like Jordan Ayew and Bobby De Cordova-Reid, familiar faces from Match of the Day and Sky Sports, don’t necessarily generate the same excitement.
These players reflect a short-term strategy, expected to make an immediate impact but unlikely to remain with City for long.
In contrast, younger signings who leave quickly often do so after developing into valuable assets sold for significant fees.
