The latest news from around Leicester City, looking at a scouting trip to Portugal, Sammy Braybrooke's loan move to Chesterfield, Will Alves' return to action at Huddersfield, and more
Jordan Blackwell
15:07, 12 Jan 2026
Sammy Braybrooke was named Chesterfield's player of the match on his debut for his new loan club
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Sammy Braybrooke was named Chesterfield's player of the match on his debut for his new loan club(Image: Michael Zemanek/Shutterstock)
Because of the nature of the performance and the opponents, back-to-back wins for Leicester City has not improved the mood a great deal.
They were fortunate to beat West Brom and while they were professional in their 2-0 FA Cup success over Cheltenham, they were far from spectacular.
Still, City head to Coventry this weekend looking for a third straight win for the first time in 21 months.
As preparations begin for the M69 Derby, here’s a look at what else is happening around the club.
Why loan works for Braybrooke
It may have been a surprise that Sammy Braybrooke left one League Two club to join another on loan.
He’s going to be playing the same level of opponents for Chesterfield as he did at Newport. Instinctively, it might feel like he won’t develop as much had he moved to a League One side.
However, there’s one notable benefit to the move: Chesterfield have much more of the ball.
Braybrooke’s shown himself to be a midfield all-rounder so far this season, but at Newport he was playing for a side that averages 47 per cent possession. Chesterfield, meanwhile, average 59 per cent possession, the third-highest figure in the division.
For the 2-2 draw at MK Dons in which Braybrooke made his Chesterfield debut, the Spireites had 67 per cent of the ball. It means the City midfielder will get a chance to show what he can do with it at his feet more often and improve in those aspects of the game.
It also looks like he’s going to play as regularly at the SMH Group Stadium as he did at Newport, going straight into the Chesterfield starting line-up despite limited training time with his new team-mates.
And just because he’s playing in League Two, it doesn’t mean he can’t make the two-division jump to City’s first team next season. Jakub Stolarczyk, Ben Nelson and Kasey McAteer all went from League Two loans to City’s Championship squad two years ago.
Braybrooke ranks in the division’s top five for chances created and tackles per game, in the top 10 for dribbles per match, and in the top 20 for interceptions and passes completed per game.
With another few months of regular football and delivering all of those attributes, he may be ready to join the City squad.
Chelsea transfer opens door for Alves
Will Alves made his long-awaited return to action for Huddersfield as they lost 1-0 to Stockport. He’s not played since September because of a foot injury, but came on and impressed, earning praise for his dynamism and trickery.
Should he stay fit, there should be plenty of chances for Alves over the second half of the season.
That’s after Huddersfield’s star performer from the first half of the campaign, Leo Castledine was recalled from a loan by Chelsea so that he could be sold to Middlesbrough.
Castledine played in attacking midfield and while Huddersfield have brought in Cameron Humphreys on loan from Ipswich as a replacement, Alves may be the man to step into his shoes.
City on Portugal scouting trip
City had a scout present at the Taca da Liga semi-final between Vitoria Guimaraes and Sporting Lisbon last week, according to O Jogo.
Representatives from Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund, Manchester United, Marseille and Wolfsburg were also there.
Assuming first-team Sporting players would be out of City’s league while they are in the Championship, perhaps the scout was casting his eye over Vitoria’s players.
Among those who may be of interest are Senegalese striker Alioune Ndoye, who scored a brace off the bench to turn the game around in added time.
Others who may be of interest are midfielders Beni Mukendi and Goncalo Nogueira and teenage winger Oumar Camara, who was picked up in a free transfer from PSG in the summer.
At the weekend, Ndoye came off the bench to score the winner again as Vitoria beat Braga in the final. It was their first major trophy since the 2013 Taca de Portugal, when Ricardo Pereira scored the winner in the final.
Carranza nets on debut
Julian Carranza managed to do in seven minutes for new club Necaxa what he failed to do in nine appearances, finding the net on his debut.
The Argentinian came off the bench for his first appearance for the Mexican side on Saturday evening, converting an added-time penalty to seal a 3-1 win over Santos Laguna.
Puel back in management
After four years away from the game, former City manager Claude Puel is back in the dugout with Nice.
Puel was last in management in late 2021, when a two-year spell at Saint-Etienne came to an end.
But with Franck Haise dismissed following a nine-match losing streak, Nice have turned to Puel on a contract until the end of the season.
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He previously had four years in charge at Nice, twice finishing fourth, and now returns. He drew his first league game back at the club, and then progressed to the last-16 of the French Cup with a penalty shoot-out win over Nantes on Sunday.
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