Leicester’s £190m Blunder Exposed as Champions League Star and 12-Goal Striker Leave for Free – Opinion
Leicester City’s Costly Transfer Mistakes Have Become a Pattern.
Ruud van Nistelrooy managed to secure just one signing during the winter transfer window, bringing in Woyo Coulibaly from Parma.
However, the real damage had already been done in the summer.
Under the unpopular Steve Cooper, Leicester City prepared for their Premier League campaign in the worst possible way, squandering money on questionable transfers.
One glaring example was the £20 million signing of Oliver Skipp.
The 24-year-old has only started seven matches since joining the Foxes, making his acquisition look like a costly mistake.
Leicester also spent unwisely on Odsonne Édouard, who arrived on loan from Crystal Palace but has failed to make an impact.
Similarly, the club splashed £12.4 million on Caleb Okoli, another signing that has yet to justify its price tag.
Such scattergun recruitment has put the Foxes in a precarious position, and their financial struggles go beyond underwhelming transfers.
£190 Million Worth of Talent Lost for Nothing
Since their remarkable Premier League triumph in 2016, Leicester have spent heavily on new players.
Their record signing, Youri Tielemans, arrived from Monaco for £38 million in 2019, while Ayoze Pérez, Islam Slimani, and Kelechi Iheanacho were also bought for significant sums.
Yet, the club’s lack of long-term planning has been exposed in recent years. Shockingly, since their title win nearly nine years ago, Leicester have allowed £192 million worth of talent to leave for free.
This mismanagement has severely impacted their financial stability.
To make matters worse, some of these players have thrived elsewhere. Tielemans is now a key figure in Aston Villa’s Champions League campaign, having joined them in 2023.
Meanwhile, Pérez has rediscovered his form in Spain, scoring 12 goals in 17 games for Villarreal, including nine in La Liga.
Jon Rudkin’s Role in Leicester’s Downfall
In certain cases, Leicester had little choice but to let players leave for free. Tielemans, for instance, saw his contract expire following the club’s relegation to the Championship.
However, this only highlights the Foxes’ poor planning and helps explain their financial predicament.
Director of Football Jon Rudkin has played a significant role in Leicester’s struggles. The 57-year-old has overseen recruitment for years, and his mismanagement has contributed to their current crisis.
Leicester fans voiced their frustration at Rudkin during a match against Everton, and rightly so. His tenure has been marked by poor signings, a lack of ambition, and failure to secure key deals.
Allowing £190 million worth of players to leave for nothing is the culmination of years of mismanagement.
If Leicester are to rebuild and move forward, parting ways with Rudkin maybe a necessary step.
