It has not been a good summer for Leicester City, and things may be about to get a whole lot worse as one of their top talents is earmarked for a Premier League switch.
In the wake of their relegation from the top flight, Leicester City fans were already feeling pretty miserable. A distinct lack of communication from the board didn’t help matters, either.
Add to this the fact that the Foxes took far too long to sack Ruud van Nistelrooy and are still yet to officially confirm Marti Cifuentes as his replacement with less than a month to go until the new season, and it’s safe to say Leicester are in a mess.
While there is optimism that Cifuentes can be a good appointment for the Foxes, it seems the incoming manager may have to tackle the season ahead without one of the best players at the club.
Bilal El Khannouss during Leicester City FC v Newcastle United FC - Premier League
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Sunderland spending could continue with Bilal El Khannouss targeted
According to a report from L’Equipe in France, it seems Sunderland are set to continue their summer spending by trying to land Bilal El Khannouss.
The report claims Sunderland have made an approach for the Moroccan star and are hopeful they can get a deal over the line.
The Black Cats have been very ambitious since gaining promotion to the Premier League, and have now approached the 21-year-old. It is thought El Khannouss does not want to stay in the Championship and would be open to the move to the North East.
Sunderland are said to now have a ‘head start’ in acquiring El Khannouss, but will face competition from West Ham and French outfit Monaco.
Martí Cifuentes, manager of QPR looks on prior to the Sky Bet Championship match between Cardiff City FC and Queens Park Rangers
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Keeping Bilal El Khannouss could be integral to Leicester City promotion hopes
Cifuentes will be keen to win over Leicester fans from the get-go, but losing a player of El Khannouss’ ability would be a massive blow to him and the club.
We had previously reported that El Khannouss would make a decision on his future when a new manager came on board at the King Power Stadium, but it sounds like that choice has now been made.
The problem for Leicester is, if they could keep El Khannouss, he would be the kind of player who could almost single-handedly fire them to promotion.
Without him, they lose their most exciting and creative talent. He would be incredibly difficult to replace, and while Leicester would surely recoup most of the fee they spent on El Khannouss, sometimes, money doesn’t solve the problem at hand.
El Khannouss scored three goals and added five assists for Leicester in the Premier League last season, and you’d imagine he would more than double those figures in the second tier.