by Having watched UEFA Champions League participation fade away on the last day for two seasons in a row, some Leicester City fans might have worried that the Brendan Rodgers era would lose its gas. However, a hugely impressive summer transfer window looks set to unfold, with Rodgers – who won the Foxes the FA Cup for the first time in club history – set to see a pair of new strikers arrive. Thanks to the inconsistent form of Jamie Vardy and Kelechi Iheanacho across the 2020-21 season, new forwards are expected to arrive.
One is a player who Rodgers knows well, in Odsonne Edouard. The Celtic forward and France U21 star has been long linked with a move to England. Arsenal were believed to be keen, and a gorgeous goal against AC Milan in the UEFA Europa League last season was believed to have had many scouts interested. However, it looks like Rodgers will use former connections at Celtic Park to land the French starlet for himself.
Edouard was a disappointment in his final year at Celtic, as the Bhoys fell to pieces and watched rivals Rangers stop them winning ten titles in a row. Despite that poor form comparative to previous years, Edouard still comfortably scored double figures in goals. His exit will likely be less profitable than the club hoped for, though, with just one year left on his deal.
This could mean that Rodgers lands a player who would have likely cost in the region of £30m for a much smaller fee than previous. Given Celtic are in the middle of a rebuild under new coach Ange Postecoglou, though, it will be interesting to see what happens next with that.
The other signing, though, might be one that Foxes fans have not seen much of.
Who else will Leicester City sign upfront?
The player who is also expected to wear the Foxes shirt next year is Patson Daka. The striker currently plays for RB Salzburg, and was a second foil to Erling Haaland. Since the Norwegian move to Borussia Dortmund, though, he has become the lead go-getter in the Austrian Bundesliga and also in Europe for the club. Daka has long been linked with clubs as varied as Liverpool and Chelsea, but Leicester are believed to have stepped in front of the queue thanks to the promise of European football and regular gametime.
Daka is an intriguing player, a hard working forward who can also score prolifically. There is a need for speed, though, as other clubs – including RB Leizpig – are expected to try and make a move for Daka before the end of the month. He is seen as a hot property on the market, and the reputation of Salzburg graduates doing well across Europe means that Sazlburg could benefit from a bidding war.
If both players arrive at the King Power Stadium, though, it will offer Leicester two young, exciting forwards to build around as they move towards the last years of Vardy’s career.
