Leicestershire Live

Tottenham Hotspur’s reported interest in Harry Winks has generated discussion amongst Leicester City fans.

The 28-year-old has been linked with a return to his former club who, according to website Fichajes, are willing to play £32 million for the reunion.

Winks, who played more than 200 games for Spurs before falling down the pecking order and being loaned to Sampdoria and then sold to City in the summer of 2023, has started nine of 11 Premier League matches this season.

The original story claims the Foxes would want to keep hold of a player who was an important part of Enzo Maresca’s promotion winning team despite the rumoured offer being three times what they paid for him.

Fans responding on LeicestershireLive’s website have joined the debate:

mrnicklad : We might be getting Archie Gray from Spurs as he's unsettled down there. Maybe part of any deal

mojo2173 : For some reason, I always felt that he wouldn't be at City for long. Whether Spurs came back for him or another club did at the end of the season. Spurs should've in reality never have sold him. We all knew of his injury problems and I was left scratching my head as to why they sold him in the first place. I think he's a great player and I will be sorry to see him go. I can't see him staying and its more than likely he will return to spurs and City will let him go if he wants to leave with the money involved.

MOX : This makes no sense , but if Leicester could just get their money back for Harry , I would say do it. He has not impressed me so far.

Spider Kalac: Winks is part of a mediocre set of midfielders that the manager has no idea how to combine.. Kante and Drinkwater, they were complementary and drove play forward incessantly, but everything we have now is just beige.

PAUL3 : I think Harry Winks is integral to us staying up this season. Keep.

"Nights like these, taking on clubs like Tottenham in front of the eyes of the world, are what we've spent the last year working, striving, fighting to re-establish in Leicester. Our achievements of the last 10 years would suggest that this is a level to which we belong, and our task over the next 38 games will be to prove it. Spurs will be a typically challenging Premier League assignment on matchday one and an excellent opportunity for us to measure ourselves at the level.

"Welcome to our summer arrivals, particularly our manager Steve Cooper and his staff that have joined our men's first team operation. In our meetings before his appointment, Steve had a very clear vision of how we could build on the success of our promotion campaign and ensure the squad are ready for the increased demands of the Premier League. We have players that have played at this level, but it is different test as a newly-promoted team, and we must create an environment in which the team can thrive. We must be ready to stand together - players, staff, supporters - with strength and resilience to fight through adversity. Every point will be so important."

Leicester City have confirmed the signing of Oliver Skipp from Tottenham Hotspur, the midfielder penning a five-year contract at the club.

The £20m deal is City’s biggest of the summer so far and their first permanent signing in more than a month. It comes just a few hours before City face Spurs in their Premier League opener.

Skipp will strengthen City’s options at the base of the midfield and could even partner old Tottenham team-mate Harry Winks in Steve Cooper’s line-up. He won’t be available to take on his former side but could make his debut against Fulham next weekend.

The move for Skipp comes a little as a surprise with Cooper urging the club to strengthen the forward ranks. City have been looking to bring in a striker amid a serious ankle injury to Patson Daka, while they’ve also been seeking attacking midfielder and wingers.

Skipp, 23, had been looking for more regular game-time having started just five Premier League matches for Spurs last season. He will compete with the likes of Winks, Wilfred Ndidi, and Hamza Choudhury for minutes at the King Power Stadium, with his arrival potentially signalling the departure of Boubakary Soumare.

Cooper has said City have a budget to work with and two more attacking players, plus a full-back, are still likely to be sought by the club over the final 10 days of the window. Before Skipp, City signed Caleb Okoli, Michael Golding, Bobby De Cordova-Reid, Abdul Fatawu, and Facundo Buonanotte.

Leicester City begin life back in the Premier League against Tottenham Hotspur tonight (8pm).

Steve Cooper will take charge of his first competitive match as Foxes boss, following his arrival during the summer, as Spurs arrive at the King Power Stadium. It’s a tough start for City against Ange Postecoglou’s side who finished in fifth place in the top-flight last season.

Pundit Chris Sutton has given his prediction to the BBC ahead of kick-off, saying: “I am hearing a lot of nonsense about Tottenham and how their manager Ange Postecoglou 'needs a good start' to the new campaign. I don't understand why he is under pressure now at the start of his second season.

“The Spurs fans were bored and fed up every weekend under Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte, but they were entertained last season and almost made the top four too - all without Harry Kane.

“Nobody can argue that Ange did not make progress, so why is he being questioned? It feels like people are waiting for him to fail, and I think that is deeply unfair.

“I don't think it will bother Postecoglou, though. He will just plough through it. He has managed for a long time and has had huge success.

“I am expecting Spurs to have another good season under him, especially now they have signed Solanke, which looks like an astute bit of business.

“Leicester will be well-organised under Steve Cooper, and they probably stand the best chance of staying up out of the three promoted clubs, but I think Spurs will be too strong for them.”

Sutton's prediction: 1-3

Leicester have reportedly reached an agreement with Tottenham Hotspur to sign midfielder Oliver Skipp.

Skipp, aged 23, has been looking for an exit route from Spurs this summer in a bid to find more playing time, and PA Sport claims Leicester are now close to sealing his signing.

There have been 'a host of clubs' in the chase but Skipp is expected to have a medical today and a move is likely to be completed before tomorrow night's Premier League opener, ironically against Spurs at the King Power Stadium (8pm).

Spurs academy graduate Skipp made his pro debut in 2018 when still a teenager and has gone on to make 106 senior appearances for the club. The former England under-21s star has also spent a year playing regularly on loan at Norwich. He made 24 appearances in all under Ange Postecoglou last term.

He will become Leicester's seventh summer arrival under Steve Cooper but will not be registered in time to feature against Spurs. City will be paying a fee in excess of £20m for Skipp, according the The Athletic.

Cooper still wants more and has been frustrated by the pace of the transfer window, saying at his pre-match press conference: “Every season you want to reinforce, you want to strengthen. We’re still going through that process. The club is working together and the communication lines are great. In general, it’s been a slow market and we’ve felt that. It’s not been through a lack of trying.

“It’s a very aligned club, you can see that from top to bottom. You can see why it’s had the success it’s had in its Premier League history because of the way it’s run. That’s what I’m feeling. Everybody is working hard. Communication lines are clear.

“Some things haven’t gone our way, which has not been the club’s fault. Let’s hope we can be a little more fortunate in the next couple of weeks and when the window shuts we can be where we want to be. If we can have a bit more luck, we can support the guys and can become even stronger than we are.

“But all of that is irrelevant because we have a game to prepare for on Monday. We really believe in the guys that are here.”

Leicester City will sit inside the relegation zone after the opening game of the Premier League season as they gear up for a campaign where they will “have their work cut out”.

That’s the verdict of former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson, who is predicting City to lose their first match back in the top flight. He’s backing Tottenham to win 3-0 in the clash on Monday night (8pm kick-off).

City will hope to return to the Premier League with a bang and kick off the Steve Cooper reign in style. But Merson can’t see it, pointing to the departure of Enzo Maresca.

Plus, he likes the look of Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs and is a fan of the transfer business they’ve conducted. He believes they can challenge for the Champions League places.

“Tottenham are dark horses for the top four in the Premier League this season,” he told Sportskeeda. “They’ve bought really well in the transfer market and Dominic Solanke is a great signing. He’s got plenty of pace to burn and he’ll make his runs. That will help James Maddison as well.

“Leicester have lost their manager this summer and have their work cut out this season. I’m going to go with Tottenham to win this game.”

If all of Merson’s predictions come in, then City will sit 18th in the table after the first round of fixtures, only avoiding bottom spot on alphabetical order. Merson also believes Southampton and Wolves will lose their openers 3-0 when they travel to Newcastle and Arsenal respectively.

There are still a few days of training for Leicester City players to catch the manager’s eye and perhaps change his thinking, but the opportunity to impress in pre-season matches has now passed.

City’s Premier League return is just days away and Steve Cooper will have a broad idea of the line-up he plans to field against Tottenham Hotspur on Monday (8pm). The likes of Mads Hermansen and Harry Winks are almost certainly going to start.

But there are a couple of positions that are still up for debate, so we have taken a look at the most contentious areas of the City starting line-up.

Ricardo or Kristiansen

Given he was one of City’s best performers last season, his quality in tight areas integral to the success of the style of play, it was a surprise that Ricardo Pereira did not start either of the club’s final two pre-season friendlies. His absence from the 11 against Augsburg, when others required game-time to improve their fitness, was understandable, but to then also be on the bench at Lens suggested he may not make Cooper’s team against Spurs.

The choice looks to be between Ricardo and Victor Kristiansen. James Justin seems a strong bet to start, given he can play on both sides of the back-line, and in either of the two full-back roles, bombing on or tucking in.

Going forward, Kristiansen has the greater energy of the pair for what is a demanding role in getting up and down the flank, but Ricardo is the more dangerous player in the final third and better at linking play with team-mates too. Defensively, Ricardo has the greater nous and experience.

Two from Faes, Okoli and Vestergaard

Before last week, it was two from five at centre-back for City. But Conor Coady, who would have been a strong contender to start, has picked up an injury and is now out of the running. Of the other four, Ben Nelson didn’t get off the bench at Lens and does not appear to be quite as serious a candidate as his team-mates.

So that leaves three. Cooper tried Wout Faes and Caleb Okoli together for the first time on Saturday and they were put through their paces with City on the backfoot for the whole match. When it came to passing out from the back, both struggled.

That could get Jannik Vestergaard a spot in the side. Given how poor City were in possession at Lens, they could do with a centre-back who has the vision and ability to play balls into midfield and the attack. Vestergaard is the best option for that.

Plus, at centre-back, success is often down to communication and understanding of team-mates. Vestergaard and Faes have spent a whole season alongside one another and so know each other’s games better than they do Okoli’s.

However, the summer signing has shown strength and speed in one-on-ones in recent outings. It will be a physical, pacy frontline City face at the King Power Stadium, and Okoli may be the best bet to help deal with that.

Buonanotte or De Cordova-Reid

He’s not played a single pre-season friendly for the club, but Facundo Buonanotte is a natural number 10, and City’s dearth of senior options in that position may mean he comes straight into the line-up. His main rival is Bobby De Cordova-Reid.

The Jamaica international has started both of City’s last two pre-season matches and is the more experienced of the pair, scoring some crucial goals for Fulham over the past couple of seasons. But he’s perhaps more suited to playing on the right wing, a position likely to be occupied by Abdul Fatawu.

It would be a shock if either Will Alves or Michael Golding were considered to start, with neither having yet played a senior league match. Alves is likely to be in the matchday squad though.

Mavididi, Cannon or a new signing

Injuries to Jamie Vardy and Patson Daka mean City are short on forward options. With only one other senior striker in the squad, it feels natural that the spot at the top of the pitch would go to Tom Cannon, but he does not appear to be central to Cooper’s plans.

It was Stephy Mavididi who replaced Daka against Lens, and so, with the squad as it is, maybe he is the favourite to lead the line. There is now cover for him, as Buonanotte could start in the middle with De Cordova-Reid on the left.

But the ideal scenario is that City sign a new striker this week, before the deadline at midday on Friday. City have irons in the fire and have been working on deals for Adam Hlozek and Fotis Ioannidis. If either arrive, it’s likely they will go straight into the team on Monday, even if they only get a couple of days with their new team-mates.

There’s just a week to go until Leicester City face Tottenham in their Premier League opener and their transfer situation has grown more desperate over the past couple of days.

It has been accepted since the start of the summer that City needed new signings to get their squad ready for the top flight. But the performance produced and the injuries sustained in Saturday’s final pre-season friendly suggest quick, quality business is a necessity if they are to stand a chance of beating Spurs.

Displays of the kind City gave at Lens will earn very few points this season. They need to improve drastically and additions will help that cause. But they need signings not only to strengthen positions, but to fill gaps.

A new striker is now the priority. Steve Cooper has been coy on the possibility of signing a new forward, but there’s no need to beat around the bush now. Jamie Vardy has barely trained this summer and still isn’t fit, while Patson Daka could be sidelined for some time with the injury that forced him to withdraw in the first half at Lens.

That Cooper brought on Stephy Mavididi rather than Tom Cannon suggests the Republic of Ireland international is not in the manager’s thinking to start next Monday. It will have to be somebody new.

Panathinaikos’s Fotis Ioannidis has been the subject of a reported £22m bid after a terrific campaign in both the Greek Super League and the Europa League last season, while in Germany it’s said an agreement has been reached between City and Bayer Leverkusen over a loan-to-buy deal for Czech international Adam Hlozek. Terms just need to be agreed with the player.

Both players can lead the line but, as yet, one signing does not necessarily rule out the other. Hlozek can also play in behind the striker, so there would potentially be space for both in the team.

While City have brought in Facundo Buonanotte on loan from Brighton to play in attacking midfield, and it seems the Seagulls expect him to start, Cooper may feel he is still short there. Will Alves has signed a new contract and has been with the first-team squad all pre-season, but Cooper’s reluctance to give him considerable minutes in the summer friendlies suggests the manager may not think he is ready for regular Premier League football.

For now, City need either Ioannidis, Hlozek or another forward, and time is ticking. While City don’t play until Monday, any signings they want to use in the game would have to be registered by midday on Friday.

With the focus on attacking signings, it’s possible City will look for more than just a striker and an attacking midfielder. Links to wingers have persisted throughout the window and former Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha is the man on the radar at the moment.

Talk is of a loan deal, with suggestions that negotiations will revolve around how much City would pay to bring in the Ivorian for a year, and how much of his wages they would stump up. Zaha, if signed, would become a leading contender to start on the left wing for City, potentially pushing Mavididi out of the 11, albeit he wasn’t included in the starting line-up at Lens anyway.

If a striker and/or a winger are signed then loans out can be expected. Cannon is attracting interest from around the Championship and a season of regular game-time is what he needs for his development. Kasey McAteer could also be let go for a year, with Cardiff and Hull keen.

While the attack is the focus, it doesn’t mean it will be the only area addressed with transfers over the final few weeks of the window. After all, Cooper said he felt the team needed “more than a couple” of recruits.

A full-back could still be on the agenda. Luke Thomas does not appear to be in Cooper’s plans, and so a signing to compete with James Justin, Victor Kristiansen and Ricardo Pereira would ensure City are well-set in that position.

A deeper midfielder would also be welcome, especially if Boubakary Soumare leaves. The Frenchman, of interest to Monaco, is one of four players Cooper has to play in the two sitting midfield roles, alongside Harry Winks, Wilfred Ndidi, and Hamza Choudhury, but it feels like an area that could do with a jolt of quality adding to it, particularly given how poor City were in possession at the weekend.

There are not too many more likely outgoings around the rest of the squad. Ben Nelson is a loan target for Championship clubs, but Conor Coady’s injury may yet scupper his chance of leaving.

But that’s the sort of deal that could be left until later in the window. For now, the focus has to be on getting a striker through the door, with only a few days to do so if City want them lining up against Tottenham next week.

Spurs have received a boost ahead of their trip to Leicester City on the Premier League’s opening weekend.

Ange Postecoglou’s side will face the Foxes on Monday 19 August equipped with a new £65m striker in the form of Dominic Solanke who officially joined the Londoners on Saturday.

Last term, he impressed at Bournemouth scoring 19 goals in 38 Premier League appearances - he also registered three assists. Still just 26, Solanke has previously failed to impress when stepping up the levels at the traditional ‘big six’ clubs with two poor spells at Chelsea - although his first-team path was blocked by the likes of Diego Costa and Michy Batshuayi during his time at Stamford Bridge. As a result, he departed for Liverpool in 2017 but once again found it tough to retain a first-team spot under Jurgen Klopp - although he did secure his first Premier League goal against Brighton at Anfield in 2018.

After moving on, he found himself at Bournemouth - a perfect fit for the once highly touted striker. During his time on the south coast, he improved year-on-year peaking last season. It is unclear if the new Spurs man will play from the start against City, however, he is likely to be in the squad at least. Spurs lost 3-2 to Bayern Munich on Saturday evening with Dejan Kulusevski leading the line despite traditionally featuring as a winger. This may indicate a starting space may be available for Solanke - he is fit after featuring for the Cherries in pre-season.

The 26-year-old cut a determined figure in an interview with Spurs’ website. He said: “Me as a player, I’m ambitious on the pitch, I work hard for the team, score goals, leave it all out there and love winning, so hopefully we can win a few things together. That’s what I’m going to bring, that fighting spirit. I’d say my attributes are movement, goals, hard work, and link-up play, so hopefully I can bring all that together at Tottenham.”

Leicester City’s interest in midfielder Oliver Skipp is unlikely to progress to a transfer with Tottenham reluctant to part with their homegrown talent.

City are the latest club to be linked to the 23-year-old, with Leeds also named as a suitor. And it seems Skipp would be open to leaving Spurs, having made just five Premier League starts last season.

However, a summer move is not on the cards. Sky Sports report that Skipp’s homegrown status makes him a valuable asset for Tottenham as they prepare for their Europa League campaign.

If Spurs want to fill their permitted 25-man squad in Europe, they need four club-trained players, those who spent at least three years in the academy at the club before they turned 18. With Harry Kane and Harry Winks no longer at Spurs, Skipp is the only senior outfield player that meets that description.

City do have options in the deeper midfield roles. Winks is set to be a regular starter again this term, having missed just one Championship match last season, while Wilfred Ndidi could revert to a deeper role after signing a new contract.

Manager Steve Cooper also has Hamza Choudhury to call on, and could reintegrate Boubakary Soumare into the squad after his decent loan spell at Sevilla last season. City also have England youth international Sammy Braybrooke coming through the ranks, and his profile makes him an ideal alternative to Winks.