Steve Cooper is hoping to add another attacker to his Leicester City ranks this summer which could see Tom Cannon allowed to leave the club.
Leicester City have made six signings this summer, but it was the club’s longest-serving player Jamie Vardy who scored the Foxes’ first goal of the new Premier League season.
That goal saw Steve Cooper‘s side snatch a point despite being completely dominated by Tottenham for large spells of the 1-1 draw, with Abdul Fatawu providing the assist having made last season’s loan move from Sporting permanent this summer.
Vardy’s inclusion in the starting XI gave Leicester a real boost going into the game as the 37-year-old was expected to continue to be absent having not played since the first game of pre-season due to injury.
However, even with Vardy’s return Cooper is very short on attacking options and he could now look to resolve that with a move for an experienced Premier League player.
Leicester City trying to ‘thrash out’ deal for Crystal Palace forward Jordan Ayew
Cooper has been left frustrated in his efforts to sign attackers this summer, with Adam Hlozek favouring a move to Hoffenheim and Wilfried Zaha’s loan from Galatasary hitting an unexpected snag.
Add to that the fact striker Patson Daka is set to be out for a few months with an injury sustained in the last friendly of pre-season and you can see that Leicester’s need for attacking additions is getting desperate.
That appears to have seen the Foxes up the ante in their pursuit of a versatile forward in the shape of Crystal Palace’s Jordan Ayew.
That is according to journalist Alan Nixon via his Patreon, who has revealed: “Leicester City are trying to thrash out a fee for Jordan Ayew with Crystal Palace.
“Ayew has been on the Leicester radar for a couple of weeks and they are closing in on a deal worth around £6 million with extras.
“If Ayew fancies the move – despite Saudi interest – Leicester boss Steve Cooper will put him straight into his side.”
This would likely see striker Tom Cannon allowed to leave either on loan or temporarily, with Cooper clearly not fancying the young forward as Nixon added: “That will open the door for wanted man Cannon to leave and the Blades head the queue for his signature.
“Stoke City are keen and could even offer cash to buy the former Everton prospect. Middlesbrough are among others who fancy him.
“But Blades see Cannon as a key part of Chris Wilder’s new look team and have a shot at promotion – which is attractive to the Leicester squad man.”
‘Incredible’ Ayew exactly the type of player Leicester City need this season
Cooper will hope the opportunity to be a key player in the Premier League once more will tempt the 32-year-old Ayew to make the move to the King Power.
Able to player either wide or as a striker, Leicester could benefit greatly from Ayew’s incredible work rate; with nothing highlighting this better than the fact he has the most tackles from a striker in a Premier League season with 58 in 2017/18 according to Stat Muse.
A willing runner, Ayew is exactly the type of player Cooper needs to help in his side’s battle to stay in the top flight.
Former Palace manager Roy Hodgson is certainly a fan, saying in November of last year: “He’s got better and better.
“I think he’s been one of the club’s best signings because we had him for six months on loan and at the end of that we made the loan permanent for a relatively small sum of money, actually a very small sum of money by today’s standards, and he’s given five further years of quite incredible service.
“He certainly is one of the most reliable and consistent players that we have.”
“You can always rely upon him to give you 100 per cent both in his attacking play and his defending play and I think, to be honest, as players often do, as they get older and more experienced, they bring further aspects to their game which makes them better still.”
Whilst it may not be the most glamorous signing, this is one Cooper will be desperate to get over the line.