It’s been a really turbulent season for Leicester City.
The Foxes started the campaign with Steve Cooper in charge and he was certainly backed in the window, outlaying a total of £74m.
But, it didn’t take long for it to become apparent that Cooper was actually taking Leicester backwards following the good work Enzo Maresca had carried out the season prior.
Further, the new recruits, a lot of which seemed Cooper-inspired, failed to make any real impact, aside from Facundo Buonanotte.
Bilal El Khannouss, the second most expensive acquisition (£20m) behind Oliver Skipp, was hardly played and reduced to only cameo appearances off the bench.
But, since Ruud van Nistelrooy’s arrival, El Khannouss has instantly become a key player for the Foxes and it’s apparent it won’t be long until the Premier League big hitters come calling.
With that said, his former youth coach at Genk has now suggested he could play for Arsenal.
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Bilal El Khannouss’s former coach says he can play for Arsenal
El Khannouss’ former Genk coach Michel Ribeiro, speaking to Leicestershire Live, waxed lyrical about the Morrocan playmaker and explained that he’s good enough to play for Arsenal one day.
“I’m not afraid to say, Bilal could play at teams like Arsenal without any problems,” Ribeiro explained.
“I’m 100 per cent sure that he can do that. For me, the ceiling is very high. The players who leave Genk, 90 per cent of them move to Europe’s top five leagues. That’s for sure. We thought Bilal was ready for the next step.
“He showed he was ready for something new so it was no surprise for us.”
Ribeiro also added: “He’s the sort of guy who will always want to improve and one day, hopefully, go to a bigger club than Leicester. He has a long way to go but the potential is there.”
El Khannouss likely to be Leicester’s next big sale
Following the PSR issues that came from the summer of 2021 – when Leicester decided against selling a key asset – it’s clear the club are keen to return to the model that served them so well.
City have built most of their success on developing young talent before moving them up for colossal transfer fees, with N’Golo Kante, Riyad Mahrez and Harry Maguire all notable examples.
It’s been pivotal in allowing them to punch well above their weight, so with that said, it wouldn’t at all be surprising if El Khannouss is the next player in line to move on in a substantial deal.
There’s been no concrete links just yet, but as Ribeiro alluded to, perhaps a team like Arsenal could come in for him in the near future.
For now, though, El Khannouss is Leicester’s to enjoy.