Leicester City are poised to lose one of the Foxes’ prized assets this summer, with several elite European suitors fighting for his signature.
Leicester City are enduring a testing summer transfer window despite the positivity surrounding the arrival of Marti Cifuentes
Leicester unveiled Cifuentes earlier this month, who replaces Ruud van Nistelrooy to spearhead the Foxes’ hunt for an instant promotion from the Championship back to the Premier League.
The former QPR manager’s task in his maiden campaign will be made even harder by the end of the window, with Leicester braced to lose several high-profile figures this summer.
West Ham want Mads Hermansen as their new number one, and Conor Coady is desperate to leave Leicester for Rangers.
Additionally, the footballing future of another in-demand star seems destined to be away from Leicester, with a new Premier League suitor registering their interest in his signature.
- READ MORE: Marti Cifuentes has already told Leicester City why he wants to sign Asmir Begovic, ‘his career…’
Crystal Palace want to sign Bilal El Khannouss from Leicester City
Leicester playmaker Bilal El Khannouss has been the subject of major transfer interest throughout the summer window after his impressive outings last season.
Earlier in the summer, Arsenal made an offer for El Khannouss, which did not materialise, and it emerged last month that Bundesliga giants Bayer Leverkusen were tracking El Khannouss.
In the wake of van Nistelrooy’s departure from the King Power Stadium, El Khannouss’ cryptic social media post heightened fears among the Foxes faithful over a potential exit, which now seems nailed on as Crystal Palace have registered interest in the Moroccan international.
Reporter Sacha Tavolieri revealed on X: “Crystal Palace placed Bilal El Khannouss on their shortlist to replace Eberechi Eze!
“El Khannouss also on RBLeipzig top list to sub Xavi Simons. RasenBallsport long time admirer of the Moroccan. No concrete offer on both side yet.”
Palace’s interest in the 21-year-old comes after Sunderland were linked with El Khannouss following their promotion back to the Premier League.
With Cifuentes seemingly destined to lose the attacking midfielder this summer, the Spaniard will be gutted to have the chance to call upon his inventive talent taken away from him for the 2025/26 Championship campaign.
- READ MORE: Forget Illan Meslier, Leicester City must sign ‘fantastic’ Championship star as West Ham eye Mads Hermansen
Marti Cifuentes’ first Leicester City season will be harder without Bilal El Khannouss
Despite suffering relegation from the Premier League back down to the second tier last season, El Khannouss showed flashes of the brilliance he can produce in the attacking third.
Former Foxes boss van Nistelrooy told Leicester’s media of El Khannouss last season: “He’s playing and starting every game and an important player for us with his creativity and his work rate off the ball.
“The challenge for him is, at his young age, pushing himself to finally know where his ceiling is. His potential is there to be a top player in Europe in the Champions League, I think that’s where his potential is.”
Last term, the Moroccan scored three goals and registered five assists during 36 games in all competitions for the Foxes, with one of his best performances coming in a 2-1 win at Tottenham Hotspur.
El Khannouss scored the winner at Spurs after Jamie Vardy’s equaliser, with a deft strike from range that curled beautifully inside the post to send the travelling Foxes fans into raptures.
Cifuentes has promised a “fearless” style of football to the Leicester faithful ahead of his debut season in charge, and given El Khannouss’ penchant for the spectacular, the Spaniard will be disappointed not to be able to call on his creative exploits next season.
Whether he chooses Crystal Palace, Sunderland, or one of the interested German clubs as his next destination remains to be seen, but at this point, it’s almost a certainty that the £25m-priced El Khannouss leaves Leicester this summer after just one season.
Leave a Reply