Leicester's Transfer Window: Grading the Foxes' Summer Business
After a summer of silence, Leicester sprung into life during the final few weeks of the transfer window, snapping up a total of three new signings.
The Foxes were also active in the selling market, though perhaps not as much as they had hoped to be. Islam Slimani is still somehow on their books for starters...
Now the dust has settled on all of Brendan Rodgers' transfer business, 90min has examined all of the comings and going with a fine tooth comb. Here is Leicester's transfer window - graded.
In
Wesley Fofana
Signed From: Saint-Étienne (£31.5m)
Grade: B
The negotiations were ridiculously protracted and the transfer fee was inflated but when Wesley Fofana was finally announced as a Leicester player, Foxes fans breathed an enormous sigh of relief.
The club started the season with just one available centre back and Wilfred Ndidi's injury just before deadline day further increased the urgency to sign some reinforcements.
Fofana fits the bill perfectly. At just 19 years old, the highly rated Frenchman is suited to playing second fiddle to Caglar Soyuncu and Jonny Evans. Tracking his development over the next few seasons is going to be very exciting.
Timothy Castagne
Signed From: Atalanta (£21.6m)
Grade: A
Wow. What a signing this has already proved to be.
Flying full back Castagne has slotted in perfectly at the King Power Stadium, opening his scoring account just 56 minutes into his Leicester career. He's also registered two assists in his first four games.
Castagne is already a fan favourite, filling the void left by Ricardo Pereira's injury perfectly. When Pereira does return he will likely move to the left. Do Leicester have the second best full-back pairing in the Premier League? Maybe.
Cengiz Under
Signed From: Roma (Loan)
Grade: B-
This is an interesting one.
Signed in an attempt to arrest Leicester's lack of creativity and goals down the right flank, Under has endured a mixed time since moving to Roma in 2017.
His early promise was more recently overshadowed by an underwhelming 2019/20 season, where he managed just three goals in 18 games. Despite this, the Turkey international could realistically thrive under Rodgers.
The Northern Irishman has managed to get a tune out of former lost causes Kelechi Iheanacho, Nampalys Mendy and Demarai Gray thus far. Under will hopefully be another one of his success stories.
Out
Ben Chilwell
Transferred To: Chelsea (£45m)
Grade: B
For all of his attacking thrust, Chilwell never fully convinced Leicester fans that he was a competent defender.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, Adama Traore and Riyad Mahrez tore him to shreds last season and this is a real concern for his new side Chelsea, who have Premier League title winning ambitions.
With that in mind, receiving £45m for Chilwell seems like pretty good business from the Foxes - particularly as the player clearly wanted to leave.
Fousseni Diabate
Transferred To: Trabzonspor (£1.4m)
Grade: A
If you have no recollection of this man playing for Leicester City, we do not blame you.
Electrifying debut FA Cup in 2018 aside, Diabate disappeared off the face of the earth after a handful of league appearances. We'd forgotten he was even on the books to be honest, so to get a small fee for him is pretty incredible.
George Thomas
Transferred To: QPR (Free)
Grade: A
Very little to say about this one. Thomas was snapped up rather cynically from cash-strapped Coventry in 2017 and never found his place at the King Power Stadium.
Let's hope his career can finally get going at QPR.
Bartosz Kapustka
Transferred To: Legia Warsaw (Free)
Grade: A
Joining for £7.5m off the back of a promising Euro 2016 tournament, expectations were high for Kapustka's Foxes career.
It's been properly rubbish though with the Pole making just three appearances before slinking off to Legia Warsaw this summer. Good riddance. Sorry, that's a bit harsh. Good luck would be better.
Adrien Silva
Transferred To: Sampdoria
Grade: B
Silva's Leicester career was doomed from the start. After missing the summer transfer registration deadline by 14 seconds, Silva could not play for Leicester until January 2018.
When he finally did get on the pitch, the midfielder put in a string of stodgy performances and never settled. Two loan moves to Monaco have followed and his strange Leicester career finally came to an end this summer.
The phrase 'missed opportunity' comes to mind.
Rachid Ghezzal
Transferred To: Fiorentina (Loan)
Grade: B
With Under coming in, Ghezzal was never going to play this season. Sending the Algerian out on loan is best for all parties.
We expect him to leave permanently next summer.
Andy King
Transferred To: Released
Grade: A
Andy King. What a career. What a man.
The League One, Championship and Premier League winner should be in line for a statue outside the King Power Stadium soon.
On the pitch though, he had very little to give to the new look Foxes and releasing him was the right call. Saying that, it is impossibly sad that he's currently still a free agent. Someone snap this man up for goodness sake!