Name Leicester City’s best-ever January transfer and the £350k paid to Le Havre for Riyad Mahrez stands out. Given the player he became and the glory he helped bring to a club like City, it’s a deal that must go down as some of the best business any side has ever done.
But there are different ways of analysing a January transfer. There is an argument that, in fact, signing Robert Huth on loan from Stoke was the most impactful piece of business City have done in the winter window.
When Mahrez first joined, City were in the Championship. He did a decent job in contributing to their promotion, with three goals and five assists in 19 games a strong return. But at first he wasn’t the world-beater he became. With Anthony Knockaert and Lloyd Dyer on the wings, City could still have been promoted.
But while the signing of Huth may not be as lauded as that of Mahrez, especially outside Leicester circles, the immediate impact he had was far greater. Without the German centre-back marshalling City’s back-line for the second half of the 2014-15 season, showing strength and defensive nous, they probably would not have stayed up. And if they don’t stay up, they don’t win the title.
As they were 10 years ago, City are again in a relegation battle. And history says they need to target signings like Huth when the window opens next month, and heed the triple warning from two years ago.
Two years ago, City signed Tete, Victor Kristiansen and Harry Souttar. Despite an electrifying debut from Tete, none of the trio significantly improved the team. Unlike Huth, none had played in the Premier League before.
Premier League experience doesn’t determine whether a signing will be a hit or a miss. In fact, it is probably an overrated characteristic. But for having an immediate impact on a side, it would be helpful.
Kristiansen may go on to be a very good left-back for the club, but at the time of his transfer, he’d just turned 20 and had never played outside of his home nation before. It would not be impossible for a player like him to have a season-defining role, one that saves the club from relegation, but expecting such an impact is more hopeful than it would be if it were a player 10 years older coming in.
It’s not that City lack Premier League experience either. It was a part of Steve Cooper’s transfer approach in the summer to target players who would not require any bedding-in period. Collectively, City’s squad has played more Premier League games than seven other squads in the division.
But now is not the time to sign a slow-burner. The battle for survival is going to be close. City need players who can make an impact more quickly, even if they’re not necessarily the better signings. They need Huths, not Mahrezes.
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