Leicester City could have fixed their goalscoring woes in the summer by signing a striker who was available for just £20 million.
Leicester’s troubles in front of goal this term have been well-documented. The Foxes have scored the third-least in the Premier League (25), with only Southampton and Ipswich Town netting fewer.
Steve Cooper, and now Ruud van Nistelrooy have been over-reliant on 38-year-old Jamie Vardy, who remains Leicester’s top scorer with seven in the league.
Alarmingly, only one of those strikes has come in his last nine appearances, with the Englishman perhaps experiencing a decline as he reaches the end of his career.
Vardy is out of contract in June 2025, though Leicester are yet to replace him as they made the mistake of not snapping up a quality heir to his throne.
Leicester City missed a trick by not signing Liam Delap for £20 million
In the summer, Cooper confirmed nine new signings but the lack of a reliable goalscorer among that list was prevalent.
Leicester signed forward Odsonne Edouard on transfer deadline day, loaning him on from Premier League rivals Crystal Palace.
However, Leicester have wanted to cancel Edouard’s loan, as he’s been utterly disappointing since moving to the King Power Stadium.
The Frenchman has cost the club a whopping £2.5 million, which is ridiculous for a temporary signing, especially when Liam Delap was available for £20 million.
Following his successful loan spell at Hull City in 2023/24, where he flourished under Liam Rosenior, Delap had several clubs circling for his signature.
It was Kieran McKenna and Ipswich Town who ultimately won the race for the 22-year-old, who was snapped up from Manchester City for £20m.
Delap was once dubbed ‘incredible’ by Pep Guardiola, and he’s been exactly that for Ipswich, scoring 10 Premier League goals in 24 appearances.
It’s his electric pace, power and finishing ability that could keep the Tractor Boys up at the expense of Leicester, and that would be a bitter pill to swallow.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 17 |  WolvesWolves | 25 | 5 | 4 | 16 | 35 | 54 | -19 | 19 |
| 18 |  IpswichIpswich | 25 | 3 | 8 | 14 | 23 | 50 | -27 | 17 |
| 19 |  LeicesterLeicester | 25 | 4 | 5 | 16 | 25 | 55 | -30 | 17 |
| 20 |  SouthamptonSouthampton | 25 | 2 | 3 | 20 | 19 | 57 | -38 | 9 |
Leicester signed Oliver Skipp for £20 million instead
Leicester have had PSR issues in recent years but there was money to spend in the summer, they just didn’t use the funds wisely, aside from one or two exceptions
For instance, the £21m capture of Bilal El Khannouss looks like a masterstroke, whereas Leicester’s £20m signing of Oliver Skipp is a massive blunder.
The 24-year-old has started just seven times in the Premier League in 2024/25 and he’s not covered himself in any glory.
Skipp was woeful against Newcastle United and after failing to complete a single tackle in an hour of that match, he has not played more than 45 minutes in the top flight since.
Now, with Wilfred Ndidi returning to his best after injury and better options ahead of him, the Englishman’s chances of game time are incredibly slim.
So, when Delap was available for £20 million and Skipp was signed for that price instead, it explains why Leicester’s recruitment is a mess and why they’re in a horrible position.