Leicester City midfielder Bilal El Khannouss is the latest player to be linked with a move to Leeds United as the new Premier League season edges closer.
Leeds have enquired about a potential transfer for the 21-year-old. It is claimed that they are willing to pay the reported £24.5 million release clause in his contract. There are, however, some contrasting reports over the price, with LeicestershireLive reporting last week that Leicester won’t consider letting the Morocco international leave unless a bid of around £30m comes in.
El Khannouss joined Leicester from Genk for a fee of just over £20m this time last year. When I'm not sat at my desk writing about football, you will more-than-likely find me in the stands at the King Power Stadium as a season ticket holder at Leicester.
I’ve therefore seen more of El Khannouss than the average fan. While his first few months in England saw him struggle to make too much of an impact, a change of manager in November saw him come to the forefront.
Having started just three of the first 13 games under former manager Steve Cooper and caretaker bosses, El Khannouss was put into the starting line-up for Ruud van Nistelrooy’s first game in charge of the Foxes in December.
He rewarded the new manager with a goal and an assist in a 3-1 win against West Ham. From then, he started every Premier League game until the final game of the season, where personal reasons ruled him out of action.
The 21-year-old is able to play either on the left or in behind the striker as an attacking midfielder. He is at his most effective in more central positions, or if he is able to drift into central positions and get hold of the ball more often.
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In Leeds' team, he will likely take over from Brenden Aaronson in the number 10 role. Despite Leicester’s struggles under Van Nistelrooy, especially in attacking areas, he was one of few positives from a doomed campaign. He was a creative spark and is never afraid to get on the ball and try and make things happen, with it sometimes looking like he was slightly ahead of his own teammates in seeing the picture unfold in front of him.
He could sometimes be a bit guilty of trying too much, but that is usually the case with creative players. One thing you can’t question is his workrate to try and win the ball back again if he does lose it.
His output is also something that does need to improve. In 36 appearances in all competitions last season he scored three goals and provided six assists (three coming in the Premier League), which are not great numbers on paper considering how creative he can be.
It’s not a one-off either. In the Juliper Pro League, he scored just four times and provided ten assists in 61 appearances. In the midst of fighting to keep your place in the Premier League, goals and assists will be crucial. It’s something El Khannouss has admitted himself that he continues to work on.
If the £24.5 million release clause is true, then I would be disappointed with that price as a Leicester fan. I believe that his value is closer to the £30m mark.
If there is no release clause, unless the Foxes get around £30m I would take the chance and keep him. There is no doubt that El Khannouss has proven he is a Premier League player and if he can improve his output then he will go far in the game.
However, I also believe that a season in the Championship where he is likely to be able to get on the ball more and become one of the standout players in the league will be good for the player in the long term ahead of a return to the Premier League. Be it either through promotion or a transfer next summer.
The fact that I’m holding out hope that could still be the case tells a story of it’s own about El Khannouss.
If Leeds do complete the transfer, they will have a player full of potential as well as quality in their hands, with £24.5m a good price for a player who can make the difference in games, something which will be crucial in the new season. It’s just about bringing that out of him a bit more often.
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