Leicester City once had a reputation for being one of the canniest operators in the transfer market in the Premier League.
From N’Golo Kante to Youri Tielemans to James Maddison, the Foxes used to make it a habit of sorts to make exceptional signings ahead of the big guns in English football before transforming such players into some of the best in the country.
Although this magic has disappeared in a big way in recent years, Leicester’s ability to find top-quality players in the market was once the envy of all the Premier League, though recent interest in Chemsdine Talbi could seen the tide change very quickly.
Indeed, Leicester’s transfer record was once one of the best in England, yet one club-record signing made in 2016 failed to work out big time, and the player has since fallen into obscurity despite his international reputation.
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Ahmed Musa back playing in Nigeria seven years after Leicester exit
The summer after winning the Premier League in historic fashion was one of excitement for Leicester fans, with UEFA Champions League football giving the King Power Stadium side the funds needed to go crazy in the transfer market.
And Ahmed Musa was the first of many big-name signings the Foxes made that summer, with the Nigeria international joining for a then-club record fee from CSKA Moscow, a record that was quickly broken by the arrival of Islam Slimani from Sporting Lisbon.
Despite arriving with a huge reputation from the Russian Premier League as well as the Nigeria national team, Musa’s time at Leicester was one to forget, with the striker bagging just five goals across two seasons in England before returning to CSKA on loan.
With Al-Nassr swooping in to sign Musa in 2018, the attacker’s career has been a whirlwind since then, with the Nigerian returning back home to join boyhood club Kano Pillars in 2021 before enjoying a Turkish adventure with Karagumruk and Sivasspor, with the forward now back in Kano with the Sai Masu Gida.
Who have been Leicester’s biggest transfer flops?
For every great signing Leicester has made in recent years, there have been one or even two players who simply did not make the grade at the King Power, a fate that has led to the downfall of the former Premier League champions in recent years.
Although Musa is in with a shout of being considered one of Leicester’s biggest flops, the former attacker does have some strong competition, with the aforementioned Slimani embarking on three loan spells before leaving for nothing having originally signed for almost £30m.
Another player with a solid claim is Adrien Silva, who after signing for £22m made just 21 appearances in all competitions for Leicester, with the former Portuguese international now plying his trade in the United Arab Emirates at the age of 35.