Leicester City berated for missing out on “risk-free deal” to QPR | OneFootball

It’s back to the drawing board for the Foxes as they miss out on the former Wycombe Wanderers man

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

QPR’s capture of former Wycombe Wanderers striker Richard Kone has confirmed that Leicester City have missed out on one of their transfer targets.

It was reported by Ben Jacobs earlier this month that both the Foxes and Swansea City were interested in the 22-year-old striker.

But, in the end, it is the Loftus Road outfit who have won the race, reportedly paying an upfront fee of around £2.75m, according to the Independent.

We asked our Leicester fan pundit, Louchlainn Martin, whether he feels his club should have been quicker to lodge an official bid.

Leicester City should have acted quicker for Kone

Speaking to Football League World, Louchlainn said: “Yeah, it's very frustrating to see Richard Kone sign for QPR.

“We don't know the ins and outs, obviously, about whether it was his decision, whether the club just decided not to go for the deal; we don't know that for sure.

“But it's frustrating just because of the price. The price was so cheap for Leicester City; it's a risk-free deal.

“Even if he comes in and isn't really a success, the fee is that low that I don't think anyone would really be too bothered compared to like other signings that we've made that didn't work out, like Oliver Skipp for £20m.

“So, Richard Kone, we know he knows where the goal is. He scored 18 goals last season in League One. The step up to the Championship isn't massive.

“I expect him to get upwards of 10 goals, maybe a few more for QPR this season, especially with some creative players around him.

“So yeah, we need a striker. We're going to have to look elsewhere. There has to be a striker that comes in, especially now that Patson Daka's also linked with a move away.

“That would leave us with no recognised strikers, just Jordan Ayew.

“So hopefully they get a move on and get that over the line, find their target and make it happen.”

The Foxes are in desperate need of a striker

As identified by Louchlainn, Leicester must sign a striker before the window closes.

As things stand, Ayew and Daka are their only recognised no.9s, with the latter having been linked with various moves away in the past, and Jamie Vardy now no longer with the club.

There is a clear vacancy there for a young, hungry striker wanting to prove himself, precisely in the mould of Kone.

It was rightly pointed out by Louchlainn that Leicester just 12 months ago splashed a staggering fee on Skipp, for the player to make just 10 Premier League starts last term.

Compared to that deal, a move for Kone would have been spare change down the back of the sofa at the King Power Stadium.

The Foxes’ needs were laid bare in their Championship opener against a Sheffield Wednesday side in disarray, a game in which they only just narrowly won, courtesy of goals from centre-backs Jannik Vestergaard and a last-gasp winner from Wout Faes.

They got the three points, but without a top-level, trusted striker, it all feels a little unsustainable at Leicester at the moment.