Football League World
·22 August 2023
In partnership with
Yahoo sportsFootball League World
·22 August 2023
Leicester City are expecting offers for Ricardo Pereira and Keirnan Dewsbury-Hall ahead of the transfer deadline.
It has been a very busy summer for the Foxes as they adapt for life back in the Championship. Unsurprisingly, many important players have already moved on, notably James Maddison and Harvey Barnes, who secured high-profile transfers to Spurs and Newcastle respectively.
Yet, the club have managed to keep many good players for new boss Enzo Maresca, with the Italian guiding the club to three wins from three in the league since his appointment.
However, there are doubts over the future of two influential players, with Football Insider stating that both Pereira and Dewsbury-Hall, along with left-back Luke Thomas, could be the subject of offers.
“Leicester City are braced for offers for the likes of Ricardo Pereira, Kieran Dewsbury-Hall and Luke Thomas in the final days of the window. Foxes boss Enzo Maresca is keen to keep the trio at the King Power Stadium with other stars expected to depart before the 1 September deadline.”
Left-back Thomas is yet to feature for the new boss this season, including in the cup win at Burton, so he would seem the most likely to move on if the right offer was submitted, whether that’s on loan or permanently.
But, it’s a different story entirely with Pereira and Dewsbury-Hall, with the duo integral to the way that Maresca wants to play.
Pereira has had an increasingly prominent role from full-back, often popping up in the inverted positions to help the Foxes dominate possession, and it’s a role that suits his style.
Despite his injury issues in the past, the former Porto man is still a quality operator at this level, and as well as adapting to the new demands asked of him, he remains a reliable defender, and will be a key man for Maresca providing he stays.
Meanwhile, Dewsbury-Hall has been one of the standout performers in the Championship in the opening few weeks.
He scored a brilliant brace against Coventry on the opening day, and he has a license to get forward in the new system, which is allowing him to flourish.
So, it goes without saying that Leicester won’t want to lose the two players, and pleasingly for the Foxes they are under no pressure to sell the pair. Not only have they brought in enough money through sales already, but Pereira has a contract until the summer of 2026, with Dewsbury-Hall tied down for a year after that.
That means it would take a truly exceptional offer for them to sell either ahead of the deadline on September 1.
It has been a perfect start for Leicester in terms of results, but it does feel as though they’ve got a lot of room for improvement in terms of performance - which should worry their rivals.
Maresca has made it clear that he still wants new additions despite the positive start, and he will also not want to lose any key men.
So, it will be interesting to see how the final part of the window plays out, but Leicester are looking in a good position to secure an immediate return to the Premier League, even at this early stage.
Live