Harry Maguire, Ben Chilwell, Harvey Barnes and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall have all, at different points, been the star of the Leicester City squad.
But for the quartet, sold for a combined £198m, this season is not going to plan. Dewsbury-Hall is yet to make a Premier League start for Chelsea as he takes on Conference League duties and little else. Chilwell, meanwhile, has been pushed aside completely by Enzo Maresca.
Maguire, out of contract at Manchester United next summer, may not get a new deal with a host of centre-backs for Ruben Amorim to call on. Barnes, while featuring fairly regularly for Newcastle, has been pinpointed as one to sell so the Magpies can claw back some cash.
It’s seen fans speculate over returns for all four. But how realistic would those deals be? Do they play in positions where City are lacking? Would they be affordable? We take a look.
Harry Maguire
The six-year deal he signed upon leaving City for Old Trafford expires next summer. United do hold an option to extend it for a further 12 months though.
Whether they will is a different matter. Amorim has a lot of centre-backs to choose from, even if he does prefer a back three. There’s Matthijs de Ligt, Leny Yoro, Lisandro Martinez, Victor Lindelof, and Jonny Evans.
So they don’t need as many senior centre-backs as they have, but is Maguire one they would want to keep? He has played in three of Amorim’s four Premier League matches in charge, albeit only started one. If they don’t want to renew his contract, then January is the last time they would be able to make money for him.
Is he someone City would want to buy? Given their defensive weaknesses, he probably is a player fans would welcome back, even amid the stick they have given him over the past few years.
But for Ruud van Nistelrooy, it does not seem like centre-back is a transfer priority in January. He has spoken of the “great luxury” of options he has at the heart of his defence with Conor Coady, Jannik Vestergaard, Wout Faes and Caleb Okoli.
Ben Chilwell
City have two left-backs in their squad already and Victor Kristiansen has looked better in his two games under van Nistelrooy than he perhaps has at other points this season. But City may still feel it’s a position that could be strengthened and Chilwell may be a better option than Kristiansen.
Certainly, for the role in van Nistelrooy’s team, it feels like Chilwell would do well. As an advanced full-back, the job is all about getting up and down the flank and supporting the attack. That was where Chilwell excelled when he was at his best for City. He has speed and stamina to do the job well.
A loan would make more sense on City’s part than a sale, and so they would have to cancel Odsonne Edouard’s deal first. There may be a feeling too that Kristiansen, with time, can be as good as Chilwell, and so halting the 21-year-old’s progress may be a short-termist approach.
Harvey Barnes
Would Barnes improve City? Almost certainly. Even if he’s not won over Newcastle supporters yet, everybody of a Leicester persuasion knows what he can do. His directness, his pace, and his efficiency at top end get him goals. It would be a huge help to Jamie Vardy if City had another threat like Barnes in attacking areas.
However, he’s probably the least likely to be attainable. Newcastle aren’t interested in loaning him out. But given they have Anthony Gordon who is at his best on the left, it seems they see Barnes as the most sellable asset in their squad that won’t dent the quality of the 11 too much.
Having spent £38m to sign him just 18 months ago, they will want to sell him for close to that figure. That’s probably not something City can consider.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall
He’s City’s reigning player of the season and the local hero whose sale may be vital in helping the club avoid a points deduction. But would he get back into the team?
He probably would, but it’s not as clear cut as might have been imagined. Right now, van Nistelrooy would have to drop either Facundo Buonanotte or Bilal El Khannouss to get Dewsbury-Hall into an attacking role, or leave out Boubakary Soumare or Wilfred Ndidi if he felt he was better used in front of the back four.
Plus, City have so many options as alternatives in those positions. There’s Jordan Ayew, Bobby De Cordova-Reid and Will Alves for the attacking midfield roles. There’s Harry Winks, Oli Skipp and Hamza Choudhury to play deeper. As much as it would be a boost to welcome back someone of Dewsbury-Hall’s reputation, and someone who cares so much for the club, the harsh truth is that City don't desperately need him at the moment.
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