Leicester City’s summer transfer recruitment will be pivotal in them bouncing back to the Championship and the success from 2009 does provide some guidance
17:00, 02 Jun 2026Updated 18:14, 02 Jun 2026
Nigel Pearson became a Leicester City favourite after winning the League One title in 2009(Image: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Leicester City’s squad will be hugely different when they embark on their League One campaign in August with an overhaul of the players expected.
City were relegated to the third tier of English football in April for just the second time in their history. The last time they dropped down to that level was in 2008.
Back then, the club had stared relegation out of the Championship in the face for three straight seasons. Under Milan Mandaric’s stewardship, the Foxes bounced back up at the first time of asking with 96 points.
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As well as going on a club record run of 23 league games without a defeat, City also broke their own record for most points (which they went on to break again in 2014), most league wins in a season and fewest league defeats (4).
They also had striker Matty Fryatt firing on all cylinders with the striker becoming the first player to score over 30 goals in a single season since Arthur Rowley did 52 years prior.
One of the key ingredients in Leicester’s immediate promotion was the appointment of Nigel Pearson, who went on to lead the club to the Premier League. In 2026, it has not yet been disclosed who will take charge of the Foxes, but there are some doubts over certain candidates mentioned.
As was the case in 2008, plenty of players will come in and out at Leicester. And words from Pearson 18 years ago should come in handy when handpicking the squad for next season.
Nigel Pearson won promotion from League One with Leicester City in his first season(Image: Getty Images)
“In my first week here, we lost three players who played a big part in last season’s campaign, but that didn’t bother me in the slightest,” Pearson said.
“Firstly, we needed to generate some money, but secondly, I think it was important to change the mentality here and get players who wanted to be here first and foremost.
“If there was a question mark over whether people wanted to remain at the club, I wasn’t bothered who they were, if they wanted to go, so be it.”
Iain Hume, Gareth McAuley and Richard Stearman all left the club for Championship sides at the beginning of July having previously started a minimum of 39 league games in the relegation season.
Leicester City players react after their relegation to League One is confirmed(Image: Plumb Images/Leicester City FC via Getty Images)
Leicester will need to sell players to raise funds themselves this summer, of course. But there will need to be a real drive in tweaking the mentality inside the dressing room after such criticism aimed at the previous group.
If City can do exactly what Pearson managed to achieve early on, they could be on to a winner next season.
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