Leicester City are looking to bolster their squad in this window, but one transfer takes priority above the rest.
Enzo Maresca is anchoring a ship that is sailing peacefully towards the Premier League.
The Foxes have clear daylight at the top of the Championship but that won’t stop them from doing business in the transfer window.
With seven first-team players either out injured or on international duty, there are areas of Maresca’s squad that need plugging, especially given Wilfried Ndidi is sidelined for three months.
The Italian tactician has already looked at bringing in a wonderkid at centre-back and central midfielder Stefano Sensi, however, there is one transfer that tops the rest.
That is a permanent deal for wonderkid winger Abdul Fatawu.
Why £14.6m is a steal for Abdul Fatawu
Fatawu arrived on loan from Sporting Lisbon as a relatively unknown quantity in the summer.
But after taking a few months to fully adapt to his new surroundings, the fleet-footed Ghanian has now endeared himself to the Foxes faithful with some exceptional performances.
He’s transformed into a creative machine down the right flank in recent months having provided six assists in his last seven Championship outings, taking his tally to nine goal contributions for the season.
Despite his age, the 19-year-old has become one of the leagues best wingers and the statistics back up that claim.
In the second tier this term, he ranks in the top 10% against his positional peers for progressive carries, top 7% for successful take-ons, top 3% for progressive passes received and top 1% for assists, as per FBref.
The above statistics suggest that Fatawu has been breathtaking to watch and he’s so crucial to Maresca’s system.
Whether that’s through his ability to initiate the press or drive up the field with his searing pace, Fatawu has been breathtaking to watch at times and they are blessed that his loan deal will become permanent if Leicester get promoted.
A clause in his contract states that the Foxes have a mandatory option to sign him permanently for €17 million (£14.6m) if promotion is achieved.
Can Fatawu step up to the Premier League?
When asked about which Championship player he’d want to see in the top flight, Lineker replied with Leicester wideman Stephy Mavididi, who has been in blistering form himself this term with nine goals and four assists.
There is, however, a strong case to be made that Fatawu isn’t too far behind.
Lauded as ‘special’ by journalist Zach Lowy, Fatawu is supremely talented and has thrived in an all-encompassing Foxes side, though he still has a lot to learn.
The 19-year-old can sometimes be rash in the final third, demonstrated by his lowly goal conversion of 5% while only recording an xG of 1.50 across the season, as per Sofascore.
There is no doubt he has the technical ability to play Premier League football but when he inevitably comes up against the big boys, he’ll have to be more clinical in the final third.
Nonetheless, Maresca is blessed to have such a talented youngster on his hands and for the price they are potentially paying, he looks like a steal.