Leicester City have been made to regret the loan signing of Odsonne Edouard, whose time at the King Power Stadium has unravelled into a nightmare.
Leicester used one of their two Premier League loan spots to capture Edouard from Crystal Palace in the summer transfer window.
The former Celtic striker was supposed to rival Jamie Vardy for a spot in the starting lineup but he was rarely utilised under Steve Cooper and now he’s unfancied by Ruud van Nistelrooy.
Since arriving at the King Power Stadium, the Frenchman has amassed just 142 minutes of Premier League football and 87 minutes in the Carabao Cup this term.
Leicester want to wipe out Edouard’s loan as a result but unfortunately, they face a stumbling block. The Foxes require Crystal Palace to cancel Edouard’s deal and that looks unlikely.
It means the 26-year-old is stopping van Nistelrooy from using his Premier League loan slot more wisely, with it becoming clear that Cooper wasted money on the signing.
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Odsonne Edouard has cost Leicester City £270,000 per appearance
Edouard joined Leicester on transfer deadline day, penning his move across the country on August 30th.
Admittedly, the Frenchman arrived with the pedigree of scoring goals previously, rising to prominence as a top striker at Celtic before joining Palace for £14 million.
However, a switch to Selhurst Park has seen him struggle for consistency, having never hit double figures for goals in any of his first three seasons in South London.
The warning signs were there for Leicester but they chose to ignore them instead and now, they’re paying a hefty price.
Since completing his loan move at the end of August, Edouard has earned £90,000 per week, per Capology, costing the club a whopping £1.6 million in wages alone.
This works out at a staggering £270,000 per appearance and doesn’t even factor in the loan fee which was reportedly ‘significant’.
Who are Leicester City’s highest earners?
To say Leicester have made a mistake with the signing of Edouard is an understatement, as not only is he draining the club of invaluable resources but he’s also not delivering on the pitch.
Remarkably, someone who has played just six times in all competitions is the club’s joint second-highest earner this season, with only Vardy collecting more in wages.
| Leicester City’s highest earners 2024/25 (weekly) |
| Jamie Vardy £140,000 |
| Odsonne Edouard £90,000 |
| Harry Winks £90,000 |
| Boubakary Soumare £80,000 |
| Ricardo Pereira £80,000 |
Leicester will hope that Palace eventually recall Edouard with enough time to bring another loan player in who would no doubt contribute far more than that Frenchman in the fight for survival.