Leicester City would be wise to sign previous Foxes favourite | OneFootball

Leicester City have been linked with the return of Jeffrey Schlupp this summer and that would be a smart addition to the Foxes squad.

Leicester City are preparing for an uncertain summer as they return to the Championship following a poor Premier League campaign and, as they begin their rebuild, the Foxes should target a former favourite at the King Power Stadium, Jeffrey Schlupp.

Ruud van Nistelrooy has said he is unsure as to whether he will remain in charge of Leicester next season amid rumours that Sean Dyche could be appointed by the club this summer, amongst other links.

There is also the departure of club legend Jamie Vardy to deal with alongside the uncertain futures of several first-teamers, as well as the club being charged with a breach of the EFL’s financial rules that could result in a points deduction as soon as the 2025/26 season.

Amid all that angst and lack of certainty, one thing that would brighten the mood at Leicester would be the romantic return of the versatile Schlupp.

Schlupp would be a shrewd addition at Leicester

According to Pete O’Rourke, Leicester are already exploring the possibility of Schlupp returning to the King Power Stadium this summer, and it would be a smart signing from the Foxes board.

Not only to try and lift the mood of Foxes supporters by seeing the return of someone who thrived after coming through their academy, but also as it would bolster their experience and general pedigree ahead of their return to the second-tier.

Leicester are set for some major upheaval over the summer transfer window and the potential signing of Schlupp would provide them with some versatility in key areas of the pitch, such as out-wide in attack as well as at full-back. He also covered in central midfield for Oliver Glasner’s Crystal Palace last season.

The 32-year-old, who will turn 33 mid-way through next season, managed just 12 appearances in the first-half of this season’s Premier League, but a fruitful loan spell in the second-half of the campaign at Scottish champions Celtic has shown that he is still capable.

In the Championship, Schlupp would surely still remain as one of the quality players in the division, whilst also providing those unquantifiable characteristics as an experienced player and a leader, returning to the side where he began his career.

Schlupp’s fairytale at Leicester

Schlupp came through the academy at Leicester and eventually made his first-team debut for the Foxes during the 2011/12 season – establishing himself as one of the most exciting youngsters in the Football League, even going on trial at Manchester United at one stage.

After being a key man for the Foxes as they won the 2013/14 Championship title, he then made 32 appearances in the Premier League as they steered clear of relegation with a so-called ‘great escape’ under the management of Nigel Pearson.

That was then backed up by making 24 appearances in the 2015/16 season as Leicester won the Premier League title under Claudio Ranieri, scoring a memorable goal in a 2-1 win away at Norwich City and eventually winning the club’s Young Player of the Year award in a title-winning campaign.

His experience and quality was also on show a lot at Crystal Palace, following his £12 million move in the January transfer window as 2017 as the Eagles continued to establish themselves as a stalwart of the top-flight.

With 280 Premier League appearances to his name, Schlupp would represent not only a romantic but also a shrewd signing for the Foxes if they get the deal over the line ahead of their return to the second division.