Leicester City has become the third club to face FFP sanctions after violating Profit and Sustainability guidelines, joining Everton and Nottingham Forest.
Enzo Maresca’s side won over Watford on Easter Monday to set their promotion hopes back on track, but a summer fire sale could derail the wonderful sentiments generated by a probable rapid return to the Premier League.
The Telegraph’s John Percy recently stated that the Foxes are ‘under pressure to sell players this summer’ even if they get promoted, and they are facing a points deduction next season after being penalized for their PSR infringement.
So, while Leicester were ‘too good to go down’ last season and have been one of the standout teams in the Championship this season, Maresca is at risk of losing a couple of his best players in the summer, making their return to the Premier League far more difficult than he had hoped.
Leicester fans will be relieved that we’ve relocated five of their most expensive assets (fees obtained from transfermarkt) to Premier League clubs, including Manchester United and Newcastle United.
Patson Daka (£12 million) – AFC Bournemouth
Daka, who was a prolific goalscorer for RB Salzburg, was previously associated with Manchester United and Manchester City, but he did not achieve his prior stratospheric heights in the Premier League because he was consistently behind Jamie Vardy and Kelechi Iheanacho in the pecking order at The King Power Stadium.
This was also the case in the early months of this season, as a planned summer move to Bournemouth fell through on deadline day. But credit must go to Daka, who seized his moment after Vardy and Iheanacho were injured, giving him a rare spell in the first team.
The Zambia international has seven goals and four assists in 15 Championship appearances this season, and in a February interview with The Athletic, he stated that he will return to the Premier League as a “different player” after his experiences in the lower divisions.
And Daka might prove he is a “different player” at Bournemouth, who may rekindle their interest in the 25-year-old with 16-goal forward Dominic Solanke on the way.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (£25 million) – Manchester United
Leicester City’s star man Dewsbury-Hall is the player they can make the most money from this summer, with transfermarkt possibly underestimating his value, as the 25-year-old is expected to cost £40 million this summer.
Dewsbury-Hall had previously gone unnoticed in comparison to James Maddison and Harvey Barnes, but the drop to the Championship has allowed him to demonstrate his talent, and he has been spectacular for the championship contenders.
The midfielder has stood up for the Foxes in times of need, and his 24 goal involvements in 38 games is an impressive total for a player in his position.
Brighton and Tottenham Hotspur have already been mooted as potential summer destinations for Dewsbury-Hall, but Manchester United are also believed to be interested. With co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe reportedly emphasizing the signing of English talent, the new Old Trafford recruitment system could do a lot worse than target the Foxes star (and Jarrad Branthwaite) as a priority summer signing.
Wout Faes (£17 million) – Newcastle United
Leicester City’s lack of transfer activity last season contributed to their relegation, since Faes was one of only three players signed for fees throughout the Foxes’ relegation campaign.
Faes has shown to be a beneficial addition for Leicester, as he was one of the club’s best performances last season and has remained an important figure following their relegation from the Premier League.
Despite contending with summer arrivals Conor Coady and Callum Doyle, Faes has earned Maresca’s trust, appearing in all bar three of Leicester City’s Championship games this season.
If Faes leaves, it is easy to envision him returning to St James’ Park, especially given Newcastle United’s current injury crisis. With centre-backs Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles out with significant knee problems, the low-cost arrival of Faes would be a welcome relief for Eddie Howe’s selection headaches.
Harry Winks (£10 million) – Everton
Leicester’s capture of Winks from Tottenham Hotspur was one of the coups of last summer’s transfer window, as it confirmed Maresca’s side’s status as the club to beat in the Championship this season.
We expected Winks to sign for a weak Premier League team and predicted that the England international would be a cut above the rest in the Championship, which has proven to be the case.
The 28-year-old has only missed one league game this season, and his unselfish work ethic has allowed Dewsbury-hall and Leicester’s multitude of attacking alternatives to grab the spotlight.
Winks’ Tottenham career did not end as he had hoped, but his excellent learning experience in Serie A with Sampdoria revitalized him upon his return to England, and most bottom-half Premier League teams would be delighted to have him on their roster.
He joined Sampdoria on loan during the summer of 2022, but before that, Frank Lampard’s Everton were interested in him, but a £20 million transfer fell through. They might acquire him for half the fee now.
Stephy Mavididi (£9.5 million) – West Ham United
Speaking of transfer coups, Leicester paid roughly £6.5 million to recruit winger Mavididi from Ligue Un club Montpellier last summer, and he has already proven to be a bargain.
The former Arsenal youth product returned to England last year after making his name in Europe with Juventus, Dijon, and Montpellier. Like many others, the 25-year-old has benefited from refining his craft away from the spotlight, and he has dominated the Championship this season.
Mavididi has eleven goals and five assists this season and is poised to become a regular in the Premier League.
West Ham are already spoiled for attacking options with the terrifying trio of Lucas Paqueta, Mohammed Kudus, and Jarrod Bowen, but *at least* one of the three will undoubtedly depart this summer.
While Mavididi is not yet on par with the current Hammers trio, a tiny amount of Man City’s projected £85 million fee for Paqueta can be used to continue poaching the Leicester City star as the club rebuilds after the sale of Declan Rice last summer.
