Leicester City should be considering quick January transfer action after ‘incredible’ development | OneFootball

Sammy Baybrooke has shown he is a level above League Two at Newport County - perhaps Leicester should give him a chance in their side

Leicester City have some decisions to make at the start of next month, as several loanees are set to return to the King Power Stadium from spells in League Two and the National League.

The standout Leicester loanee this season has been Sammy Baybrooke, who, alongside Nathaniel Opoku, joined Newport County on deadline day.

Newport goes into Christmas Day as the lowest-ranked team in the EFL, propping up the League Two table with just three wins in 21 games. However, none of this can be attributed to Baybrooke, who has performed admirably over the past few months.

This was emphasised in the way he scored his first goal for the Exiles against Colchester United, a delicious lobbed effort from inside his own half to cut the deficit to two in the second half, a goal which Sky Sports described as 'incredible'.

That goal just scratches the surface of what the 21-year-old is capable of, and the fact that it came in a 4-1 defeat shows that the midfielder is a level above the basement side in League Two.

Leicester have a decision to make when he returns at the start of January — keep him, or loan him back out — and it wouldn't be a crazy decision if they decided to give him some game time in their first team.

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It's been a real mixed bag in terms of results this season for Leicester and Marti Cifuentes, emphasised by the Foxes' impressive 3-1 win against Ipswich Town being immediately followed by a truly disastrous half of football, which saw them four down at QPR at the break.

While there have been some off-field distractions throughout the campaign in the form of their ongoing hearing over alleged breaches of Profit and Sustainability rulings, it's safe to say that the performances on-field aren't up to standard, regardless.

Leicester need a few fresh faces, and, while surprising, a returning Baybrooke could be what Cifuentes needs to add some life into his midfield - especially with the likes of Harry Winks potentially departing in January.

Some Foxes fans may turn their noses up at this, as from the outside, trusting someone who has been a consistent starter in the worst team in the EFL this season in the Championship may be seen as a step too far, but the 21-year-old has been one of the best defensive midfielders in League Two this season.

Per Fotmob, Baybrooke ranks in the top 10% of players in his position in League Two for accurate long balls and the percentage of those completed, chances created, and successful dribbles, alongside tackles, recoveries, and possession won in the final third.

Alongside this, an expected assist number of 2.67 compared to an actual assist number of just one shows that he doesn't struggle to create chances, and if his teammates were better at finishing them, his basic stats would look a lot more attractive, too.

Managed by a Foxes legend in Christian Fuchs, Baybrooke arguably has the best reference point for a route into the Leicester fold.

If the popular Austrian left-back vouches for the 21-year-old, perhaps he could hold his own in the Championship during the second half of the season.

Playing Sammy Baybrooke could be a risk for Leicester City, but one which could pay off

With Baybrooke returning to the King Power in January, Leicester will have a decision to make. Re-loan him out elsewhere or play him in the first team.

Unfortunately, there'll be a risk with the latter, as if the promising midfielder is tested in the Leicester squad, but it's decided that he can't cut it, the only destination he could go back out on loan would be back to Newport, as players can only play matches for two clubs in a season.

Evidently, Baybrooke is better than the fourth tier, and it could be safer to loan him back out to a side in League One for the second half of the season to test him against better opposition before then returning to the Leicester fold next year.

However, there's no reward without risk, and Baybrooke could be exactly what Leicester need to freshen up the engine room ahead of the latter half of the campaign - especially when he's producing moments of magic on the pitch.