Relegation from the Premier League inevitably triggers a period of significant change at any football club. For Leicester City, their immediate return to the Championship after just one season back in the top flight has set the stage for a challenging summer. With a new manager, Marti Cifuentes, reportedly taking the helm, the focus immediately shifts to the squad: who stays, and crucially, who goes?
The departure of defensive midfielder Wilfred Ndidi appears all but certain, with reports citing a modest £9 million release clause facilitating a move, potentially to Real Betis. Ndidi`s situation is a clear indicator of the financial and contractual realities that bite hard after dropping a division. However, he is unlikely to be the sole significant exit from the King Power Stadium before the transfer window slams shut on September 1st. The task for Cifuentes is clear: navigate a necessary rebuild while potentially losing key assets acquired for top-flight football.
Let`s examine two other players whose futures at Leicester City look increasingly uncertain.
Bilal El Khannouss: A £21 Million One-Season Wonder?
Bilal El Khannouss arrived at Leicester last summer with considerable fanfare, a £21 million signing from Belgian club Genk. The expectation was that the Moroccan winger would provide flair and attacking impetus needed in the Premier League. He made 32 appearances, contributing two goals and three assists – a respectable, though perhaps not spectacular, return for a challenging season.
Signed for the Premier League, El Khannouss now finds himself facing Championship football. The situation is compounded by reports circulating in April that a release clause was inserted into his contract. The presence of such a clause effectively sets a pre-agreed price, streamlining negotiations for interested parties. For clubs still operating in the top flight – or perhaps even those in major European leagues – activating such a clause offers a straightforward way to acquire a player with recent Premier League experience without protracted haggling over valuation.
While the incoming Cifuentes would surely prefer to retain a player of El Khannouss`s quality and recent investment level, the lure of continuing to play top-tier football elsewhere, potentially facilitated by his contract, presents a significant challenge for Leicester. It`s a harsh illustration of the transfer market`s unforgiving nature post-relegation; a significant outlay for a player who might depart just 12 months later.
Victor Kristiansen: The Premier League Pull
Defender Victor Kristiansen`s recent history with Leicester City is itself intertwined with relegation. Signed in January 2023, he was part of the squad that went down that summer. Immediately following relegation, he secured a loan move to Bologna in Serie A, where he gained valuable experience.
He returned to the King Power last summer, ready for the Premier League campaign, and featured 30 times for the Foxes. However, the club`s subsequent 18th-place finish means Kristiansen is once again looking at a season outside the top flight, this time with his parent club.
Interest from other Premier League clubs has emerged, notably Nottingham Forest. While Forest might not offer the Champions League football that his former loan club Bologna will enjoy next season (a slightly awkward contrast for Leicester, perhaps), they do offer continued participation in England`s top division. For a player who has sampled both Premier League football with Leicester and top-tier Italian football with a Champions League-bound side, a return to the Championship might seem a step backward he`d prefer to avoid.
Leicester City does hold leverage here, with Kristiansen`s contract running until the summer of 2028. This provides negotiating power regarding any transfer fee. However, the player`s likely desire to remain in a top league, coupled with concrete interest, makes his departure a very real possibility. It adds another layer to the defensive headache Cifuentes must address.
The Rebuild Under Cifuentes
As Marti Cifuentes prepares to begin his tenure, the potential departures of players like Ndidi, El Khannouss, and Kristiansen underscore the scale of the task ahead. Replacing key figures, some of whom were significant recent investments, while operating within the financial parameters of the Championship, will define Leicester`s summer. The transfer window promises to be a complex period of navigating contractual clauses, player ambitions, and the stark realities of life outside the Premier League.
