Why Leicester City Should Sign Two Veteran Forwards as 6 key players set to be out of contract
After a strong first season in the Premier League with Luton Town, Elijah Adebayo has garnered interest from many clubs. With relegation looking increasingly likely for the Hatters and Leicester City gaining promotion, could the King Power be the forward’s next destination ?
As Luton look to be dropping down the Championship, their most impressive players will surely look to stay in the top division. Adebayo managed to find the net 10 times this season, an impressive figure for his first season in the league. Considering this was a side with a lot less quality, the attacker has managed to show his capabilities.
After a season at the pinnacle of English football, the 26-year-old will look to continue his momentum. Furthermore, his current club coming straight back up isn’t as likely, so guaranteeing Premier League football will be crucial for furthering the talisman’s career.
Why Adebayo Is The Right Man For Leicester City
After escaping the Championship at the first time of asking, Leicester will be looking to bolster options in order to avoid relegation. A pivotal issue for the Foxes was strikers. There were many options, but nobody could deliver consistently. With Jamie Vardy and Kelechi Iheanacho’s contracts up this season, new forwards need to come in. Daka was also unimpressive in the second tier, leading to mass frustration among the fanbase. In addition , Tom Cannon has garnered interest from elsewhere, meaning his ttime in the East Midlands may be short lived.
With these major issues, a forward of Adebayo’s quality will be a necessity. From his first season in the Premier League, the Nigerian international has shown his on and off the ball qualities. He has proved to be a dominant force in the air, making him a nightmare for defenders. This is exemplified by his performance against Brighton & Hove Albion, where two of his three goals came from headers.
Chance creation hasn’t been an issue for Leicester, with Abdul Fatawu and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall first and third for big chances created in the Championship.
With the ball at his feet, Adebayo can also prove a threat for defenders. He has great dribbling, using his pace and strength to beat defenders. Furthermore, the 26-year-old is talented at playing with his back to goal and creating chances. This was shown in his second goal against the Seagulls. With a good possession-based side, creating chances, he can more than prove his well-rounded skill set.
However, this analysis is limited as the attacker has played in a Luton side considerably different to the style of Leicester City. This could make it hard for the forward to adapt to a new philosophy. Another issue would be that Maresca’s team haven’t played with a target man striker looking to get on the end of crosses. In recent years, the side have looked for runs in behind from a faster forward like Jamie Vardy, Patson Daka or Tom Cannon. Therefore, could this change hurt their return to the Premier League?
