Extent of Leicester's Poor 2016 Recruitment Made Clear After Last Signings Leave Club
Leicester City was never going to repeat its fairytale 2015-16 Premier League title win the following season, no matter what the most optimistic of fans were hoping. But with a Champions League adventure to prepare for, strong recruitment was a must just to remain in the top half of the league.
The 2016-17 season turned into a disaster for the Foxes. And, despite incredible progress to the quarterfinals of the Champions League, Leicester struggled domestically.
The strong recruitment its needed, though it seemed like good business at the time, didn't come to fruition. The rest of the players returned to their pre-title winning level, heroic manager Claudio Ranieri was sacked and the club was faced with a relegation battle.
Now, after the close of the 2018 January transfer window, just 18 months on from Leicester beginning last season as reigning champions, every player signed in the summer of 2016 has left the club, at least temporarily. None could be considered a successful signing.
Islam Slimani, the £29 million record buy, was the last to go, loaned to Newcastle on deadline day. The Algerian, who had sparkled at the 2014 World Cup and in Portugal, brought so much promise that he ultimately failed to back up with goals and performances.
Ahmed Musa had left the King Power Stadium a day earlier, loaned to former club CSKA Mosow. The Nigerian, also a record signing at £16 million before Slimani's arrival, simply wasn't up to it.
The £13 million Nampalys Mendy, again a record signing for the Foxes before both Musa and Slimani, was supposed to replace N'Golo Kante in the middle of the pitch. But he spent much of last season injured and was returned to former club Nice on loan in summer.
Bartosz Kapustka, a player hyped for his breakout performances for Poland at Euro 2016, failed to play a single Premier League game last season and was loaned to Freiburg for 2017-18. He is unlikely to return, with the Bundesliga side set to pay €5 million to make it permanent.
The other two players who arrived in the summer of 2016 have already been sold: German goalkeeper Ron-Robert Zieler to Stuttgart and Spanish defender Luis Hernandez to Malaga. The latter was actually the first to go, only lasting until January 2017.
Six players bought in summer 2016 as reigning champions, already none left. Leicester has stabilized and should challenge for a top-half finish this season, but it's little wonder why its success wasn't close to being replicated.
