The transfer window is now open and Leicester City will be targeting players in several positions, including a temporary replacement for Abdul Fatawu.
Leicester City captured Fatawu permanently from Sporting Lisbon in the summer after he starred in their Championship title-winning campaign, recording 13 assists in 40 matches.
Fatawu started this season in a similar vein of form, terrorising Premier League defences while cutting in from the right flank.
In just six starts, the talented Ghanian produced two assists and was beginning to establish himself as an incredible top-flight player.
However, Leicester’s worst fears materialised when Fatawu suffered a season-ending ACL injury in November, which left the 20-year-old sidelined for the remainder of the campaign.
Now, with their output down the right suffering as a result, Ruud van Nistelrooy could bolster his right-wing position in the transfer window.
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Leicester City should scout Aston Villa’s Jaden Philogene
Leicester have already been linked with Miguel Almiron, the silky Newcastle winger who could be available for a permanent transfer.
However, there is another Premier League winger who van Nistelrooy should scout and that is Aston Villa’s Jaden Philogene.
Leicester visit Aston Villa on Saturday afternoon as they aim to end their four-match winless run and this is a perfect chance to have a closer look at the 22-year-old who could leave Villa Park this month.
According to journalist Tom Collomosse, Unai Emery could offload Philogene in the January transfer window despite him only signing from Hull City for £13m in the summer.
Since returning to Bodymoor Heath, the former England under-21 international has struggled at Villa and is yet to score or assist in 15 matches in all competitions.
Admittedly, only four of those games have been starts however, it’s clear Philogene is suffering from a loss of confidence and van Nistelrooy could be the one to unearth his exciting talent.
Why Philogene is an ideal Abdul Fatawu replacement
Having watched Philogene closely while at Hull City last term, the fleet-footed winger could be the ideal temporary replacement for Fatawu.
It remains to be seen the fee Villa would want for him but considering how much he’s struggled under Emery, perhaps Leicester would only have to match the £13 million they paid.
Last season, Philogene showed his incredible talent for a Hull City side who were chasing the play-offs, rivalling Fatawu in the debate of the league’s best young wingers.
| Abdul Fatawu vs Jaden Philogene (2023/24) | Fatawu | Philogene |
| Goals | 6 | 12 |
| Assists | 13 | 6 |
| Progressive carries per 90 | 4.61 | 4.88 |
| Successful take-ons per 90 | 2.88 | 2.79 |
| Touches (att pen) per 90 | 5.31 | 5.77 |
| Key passes per 90 | 2.08 | 1.67 |
| Shot-creating actions | 4.25 | 4.04 |
As shown by the above table, there wasn’t much to separate the two stars last term, although Philogene was more of a goal threat while Fatawu was the greater creative force.
Perhaps Philogene making a January transfer move to Leicester could be the perfect chance to start regular matches on the right and showcase his ridiculous talent under van Nistelrooy.