Leicester City are preparing for life in League One by lining up a swoop for one of the division’s hottest attacking options, according to journalist Alan Nixon.
The Foxes find themselves back in England’s third tier for the first time since 2009 and just 10 years after their historic Premier League title victory. After suffering relegation from the top division a year ago, they were expected to challenge at the top end of the Championship this time around.
Despite possessing one of the most expensively assembled squads in the second tier, it’s been a dreadful campaign. A six-point deduction in February saw the East Midlands-based outfit plunged into a relegation battle, and they eventually dropped into the bottom three a couple of weeks later.
A second successive relegation was confirmed following a 2-2 draw with Hull City earlier this month.
Leicester Keen On Plymouth’s Lorent Tolaj
It is claimed that Leicester will look to strengthen their front line in the summer and have set their sights on Plymouth Argyle talisman Lorent Tolaj. The 24-year-old joined the Pilgrims from Port Vale last August, penning a four-year deal.
His form at Home Park has caught the attention of a host of clubs, including Scottish giants Celtic. He has 21 goals in all competitions this season, with one of those coming for previous club Vale.
The 2021 FA Cup winners will face competition for Tolaj’s signature though. Nixon also claims that Sheffield United are keen on the striker, whilst a number of Championship clubs have also been linked over the past few months.
Plymouth will be reluctant to sell their prized asset though and still have their sights on sneaking into the League One play-off positions. Tom Cleverley’s side are eighth ahead of next weekend’s final day, although are just two points behind sixth-placed Stevenage.
Can Leicester Afford Tolaj?
Leicester’s financial woes have been well documented in recent months and their drop into League One is unlikely to ease those worries. They have a number of significant earners on their books, who were only playing Premier League football 12 months ago.
They have also reportedly already cashed in on their parachute payment for next season, with financial expert Kieran Maguire addressing the situation earlier this week:
“This is going to be the big challenge.
“They will be in receipt of second-year parachute payments, but it looks as if they have already cashed those in through Macquarie.
“They owe transfer fees themselves, because they spent a reasonable amount when they got to the Premier League.
“So there’s an awful lot of cash going out, and there doesn’t appear to be a lot of cash coming back in.
“And you only get £2m from the League One TV deal.”
Tolaj still has three years remaining on his existing deal and it is likely that a considerable sum will be needed to tempt Plymouth into selling their prized asset. It’s understandable why Leicester would be keen to acquire proven League One talent, but this is a battle they look destined to lose.