Leicester City Summer Transfer Window 2024 Analysis: Strategy, Needs, Areas for Improvement and Financial Capabilities
Leicester City’s Performance in the 2023/24 Season
Leicester City faced the drop from the Premier League after finishing 18th in the 2022/23 season. However, they have shown their mettle in style as they won the EFL Championship ahead of Ipswich Town to secure automatic promotion back to the top flight.
On course for 100 points in their campaign, Leicester narrowly missed the mark as they earned 97 points from 46 games, including 31 wins, four draws and 11 defeats. They had some lean patches in the year which prevented from reaching their targets.
In terms of domestic cup competitions, the Foxes had a year to forget. They were knocked out of the Third Round of the EFL Cup following a 3-1 defeat against Liverpool. They did reasonably well to get to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup but fell 4-2 to a resolute Chelsea side.
Now, the 2015/16 Premier League champions will return where they belong and will look to stay there for the foreseeable future at least.
Transfer Strategy
Before there was Brighton & Hove Albion, there was Leicester City. The Foxes somewhat developed a reputation for having one of, if not the best scouting network in the English top-flight with their incredible finds such as N’Golo Kante and Riyad Mahrez.
The club has continued to exercise a similar model as they scour for talent all over the world and bring them to play for Leicester for a couple of seasons. If they impress other clubs and move on, good. If they improve and stay, even better. So far very few of their moves have failed, with most players coming in and fitting like a hand in a glove.
Now, under new manager Steve Cooper, they will look to create a new environment for players to thrive and succeed after they did so well with Chelsea-bound Enzo Maresca.
Squad Needs & Areas of Improvement
Goalkeeper
The Foxes have Danny Ward and Daniel Iversen in their ranks but will need a more battle-tested Premier League goalkeeper if they are to become serious about staying up.
Defenders
Leicester City have had Wout Faes, Jannik Vestergaard and Conor Coady anchor their defence, with Ricardo Pereira and James Justin playing in the full-back roles when needed. However, they will need to rethink their roster as they will face quality defenses and are unlikely to concede just 41 goals next season.
Bench Depth
Currently Leicester City have one of the most well-balanced and stacked midfield and attack in the Premier League. However, they will need to add one or two more pieces in either department to ensure they do not suffer if players get injured. Another central midfielder and maybe a couple of wide attackers are just what the club needs.
Leicester City Transfer Window 2024: Potential Signings & Top Targets
| Leicester City Transfer Targets | Position | Current Club | Estimated Fee (in EUR millions) |
| Cesare Casadei | Midfielder | Chelsea | 10m |
| Armando Broja | Striker | Chelsea | 22m |
| Sean Longstaff | Midfielder | Newcastle United | 25m |
| Tammy Abraham | Striker | AS Roma | 30m |
Cesare Casadei
The Italian central midfielder can play as a defensive or attacking midfielder and stands tall at 6’2 as Leicester could use some muscle in the middle of the park. He was on-loan with the Foxes and has made 25 appearances across competitions so far, chipping-in with three goals and two assists. Signing him would be a good deal for Leicester.
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Armando Broja
Aged just 22 and already having 66 Premier League appearances under his belt, the next few years will be when the Albanian forward develops into the lethal striker he has been backed to become. He showed glimpses of his talents in a loan spell with Southampton but Cooper can maybe unlock a little more potential.
Sean Longstaff
The 26-year-old Newcastle midfielder will come with bags of experience with him as he has made 146 Premier League appearances so far in his career. With 182 games for the Magpies, they are bound to hold on tight to a player they call their own, but Leicester may be able to turn their heads with the right offer.
Tammy Abraham
The out-of-favour Roma striker would relish a move back to the Premier League as Leicester need to fill the void left by Kelechi Iheanacho’s departure. Still only 26, Abraham has made 89 Premier League appearances and scored 26 goals along with five assists. With over 300 club games, he will bring in some much-needed experience.
Leicester City’s Financial Capabilities
As is widely known, teams promoted to the Premier League from the EFL Championship receive huge bonuses, with Leicester City set to receive around €165 million for next season. They have been smart with player sales in the past and will have a decent amount of money to spend on recruitment as well.
Budget Overview
The Foxes made a decent profit last season as they offloaded 19 players for a total gain of €106.05 million and bought 15 players worth a total €44.80 million. This left them with a net profit of €61.25 million which they can directly invest towards recruitment next season.
Financial Fair Play (FFP)
Last season’s profit combined with their Premier League TV rights money gives the Foxes a transfer kitty of nearly €200 million as they look to strengthen.
Strategic Spending
With key positions needing to be filled on priority, Cooper and the board will do their best to stay ahead of the curve and sign the right type of players.