How Bilal El Khannouss feels about returning to English football - it won’t be with Leicester City | OneFootball

Bilal El Khannouss made the move to Stuttgart on loan from Leicester City last summer

Bilal El Khannouss could be set for a return to English football in the near future - but it has been made abundantly clear that it won’t be with Leicester City.

The attacking midfielder joined the Foxes in the 2024 summer transfer window following their promotion to the Premier League under Enzo Maresca, paying a fee of £21 million to Belgian outfit Genk for his services.

The Morocco international made 32 appearances in the top flight, contributing two goals and three assists, but it wasn’t enough to keep the club from suffering relegation back to the Championship.

Relegation led to El Khannouss making the move away from the King Power Stadium this past summer after he appeared in a handful of their first matches of the campaign, signing for Bundesliga club Stuttgart on loan for the season.

But the 21-year-old’s return to English football now looks likely to come away from his parent club Leicester, amid interest from Newcastle United.

Newcastle United’s Bilal El Khannouss interest

Earlier this week, it was reported by TEAMtalk that Newcastle are ready to aggressively pursue the signing of El Khannouss from Leicester.

It’s believed that the creative playmaker is ready to make a return to the Premier League next year upon the end of his spell with Stuttgart, even though they have a €25 million option to buy on the North African.

El Khannouss is understood to be missing the intensity of the English top flight, and he is keen to compete at that level again, potentially as soon as 2026.

“He would like to play in the Premier League again,” El Khannouss insiders told TEAMtalk.

Newcastle are reportedly readying an offer to sign the player when his loan spell in the Bundesliga comes to an end, meaning he may never make that return to Leicester.

The forward has performed well in Germany so far, contributing to five goals since making the switch in the summer, as well as scoring three times in the Europa League from five appearances.

It remains to be seen what kind of fee it would take to convince the Foxes to cash in on El Khannouss on a permanent basis, although their current financial issues may force them into a sale at a price they might not otherwise have accepted.

Their league status could also play a key role in determining the next step in the player’s career, with Leicester struggling to compete for promotion to the Premier League under Martí Cifuentes in this first half of the campaign.

The Spanish coach’s position is under threat amid the team’s poor run of form, with the team falling further and further behind league leaders Coventry City.

Bilal El Khannouss’ Leicester City return seems unlikely now as Newcastle United plot move

El Khannouss is performing well in the Bundesliga, and it will come as no surprise that he wants to continue competing at a top flight level.

If Leicester remain in the Championship, then a sale of some kind next summer will definitely be on the cards.

The club’s financial picture must also improve, so the permanent departure of El Khannouss could aid in that goal.

He is someone that could fetch a fee worth at least £20 million to 25 million, particularly if he continues to perform well in Germany.

It was reported in 2024 that Leicester paid £21 million to sign the Morocco international, so the club will be hoping to at least recoup that fee, if not make a profit on the forward.