Training Dilemma, Potential January Move, and Steve Cooper’s Take – What’s Next for Boubakary Soumare?

During talkSPORT’s coverage of Leicester City’s Premier League opener against Tottenham, Marc Albrighton mentioned that Conor Coady had praised Boubakary Soumare as one of the standout performers over the summer.

However, this strong pre-season form hasn’t translated into significant competitive game time for the French midfielder.

Soumare played only the last 11 minutes of that match and has yet to appear in the Premier League since.

He did start in the Carabao Cup match against Walsall, marking his first start for Leicester since their relegation, but in a generally poor team performance, he struggled to replicate the form he had supposedly shown in training.

This pattern has persisted throughout Soumare’s Leicester career since joining the club in 2021.

There has been consistent talk about his impressive displays in training, yet these performances have rarely been reflected in competitive matches.

There have been brief periods where Soumare has shown his potential, including half-hour stretches where he dominated the midfield with his strength, pace, and vision.

In the fall of 2022, he seemed to be finding his form and putting together consistent performances, but the World Cup break disrupted his momentum.

Outside of those moments, his time at Leicester has been marked by performances where he has failed to control the game or lost track of his midfield duties, contributing to his lack of consistent impact.

Last season, while on loan at Sevilla, Soumare played regularly.

Although he didn’t stand out in what was a generally underwhelming season for the club, he did establish himself as a consistent and reliable presence at the base of Sevilla’s midfield.

A permanent move to the Spanish club was discussed, but financial constraints prevented Sevilla from making the deal happen.

There was also interest from French clubs, including Monaco, but no transfer materialized, leaving Soumare at Leicester until at least January.

Reports have surfaced that Sevilla may revisit the possibility of a loan move for Soumare during the next transfer window.

Given that Soumare hasn’t even made Leicester’s Premier League bench in recent weeks, a January transfer seems increasingly likely.

More than three years into his time at the club, and with less than two years remaining on his contract, there is little evidence to suggest that Soumare will be able to turn his career around at Leicester.

The consistent run of matches that Soumare appears to need to find his rhythm doesn’t seem to be on the cards.

Leicester, still searching for their first win, are in no position to allow players to take time finding their form, which is likely why Soumare finds himself behind players like Harry Winks, Oliver Skipp, Wilfred Ndidi, and Hamza Choudhury in the midfield pecking order.

Manager Steve Cooper has stated that Soumare will be treated like any other player and will have opportunities to play.

However, despite his reported success in training, Soumare’s lack of game time suggests that, barring an injury crisis or cup matches, his chances may remain limited.

Cooper expressed his belief in Soumare, stating: “Bouba’s part of the group and has waited for a chance to play.

There was a lot of talk about him leaving during the transfer window, and some of that was out of my hands.

Throughout the window, I spoke about committing to the players we work with every day, and Bouba’s very much part of that.

“There are opportunities for every player. The players given an opportunity (against Walsall) deserved it because of the way they train.

We’re a together group, and I believe in all of the players.”

Despite this, Soumare’s future at Leicester remains uncertain, and his prospects of securing consistent game time seem dim as long as he continues to sit behind other midfieldersin the squad.