Premier League clubs are ‘lowballing’ Leicester in the transfer market given awareness of the club’s need to raise funds.
Rival clubs believe Leicester are under pressure to move players on before the deadline due to Financial Fair Play concerns and their projected losses for the 2021/22 season.
The Foxes have made losses of £120million over the past three years, but accepted losses – including loss of revenue due to Covid-19 and investment in infrastructure, mean Leicester were inside the threshold of £105million of “losses” allowed over the three-year period.
However, anticipated losses are expected again in the 2021/22 accounts and the club are keen to protect themselves against UEFA’s stricter regulations, to prevent being banned from continental football should the club qualify for Europe.
According to ESPN, rival teams are aware of the situation in needing to move players on before additions can arrive and as such are ‘lowballing’ Leicester in the final weeks of the window.
Chelsea have seen three bids turned down for Wesley Fofana, while Newcastle have made two approaches for James Maddison. Youri Tielemans’ situation is also uncertain with no club prepared to meet Leicester’s £40m valuation for the midfielder, who has entered the final 12 months of his deal.
Arsenal are understood to be interested in Tielemans and could test the Foxes’ resolve with a late offer in the final stages of the window. Leicester had also looked to offload Jannick Vestergaard and Caglar Soyuncu, but have received no offers that match their valuation of the defensive duo.
Time is running out for Brendan Rodgers – under pressure after a winless start to the campaign – to reshape his squad for the campaign. There is less than a week of the window remaining for sales and new arrivals, with Rodgers having already expressed his unhappiness at missing out on the permanent signing of Ademola Lookman.
