Southampton, Everton dodged Leicester City transfer bullet - he once haunted Lionel Messi | OneFootball

Leicester City did not see the best of Ahmed Musa after £16m 2016 move, despite an impressive showing against Argentina in the World Cup in 2014.

In July 2016, Leicester City were on top of the world. The Foxes had just won the Premier League and were preparing for a new campaign that would see the club play Champions League football.

Claudio Ranieri had reached monarch status at the King Power Stadium, and despite losing one of their star players in the form of N'Golo Kante to Chelsea, there were hopes that the East Midlands outfit could continue their rise in the footballing world and fight for another European place in the 2016/17 season.

However, what followed was one of the most difficult years on the pitch for any title-defending side in Premier League history, as the Foxes struggled for consistency from the very start. A 2-1 defeat against Championship play-off winners Hull City ultimately set the tone for a tough few months that would culminate in the sacking of Ranieri.

Nonetheless, the summer was one that excited Leicester fans as their side kept hold of attacking aces Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez while also adding to their squad. Yet, a £16m move for a new winger who had impressed before on the world stage never truly worked out.

Ahmed Musa had a huge reputation ahead of Leicester City arrival

The funds that the league title brought in were willingly spent by Ranieri and his recruitment team, with the club breaking their record transfer with the addition of Nigerian forward Ahmed Musa from Russian side CSKA Moscow for a reported £16m.

Everton and Southampton had both shown an interest in the then 23-year-old, with West Ham United also keen on starting their new era away from the Boleyn Ground with an eight-figure transfer fee for Musa, but they were unable to beat the champions to his signature.

While Leicester would break their transfer record just a month later, there was plenty of pressure on the winger as he was arguably Nigeria's brightest talent at the time. Just two years earlier, he had scored twice in a World Cup group stage match against an Argentina side that eventually finished as runners' up, with Lionel Messi leading his country.

Although the Super Eagles would lose the game 3-2, Musa's stock rose and his move to the Premier League brought great promise. Partnering Vardy up front, the Foxes looked to have an unstoppable attacking lineup, but what followed was two years of inconsistency and disappointment.

Ahmed Musa had two poor years with Leicester City; the Foxes were the losers in the deal

Musa was brought straight into the starting XI for Leicester, and supporters were hopeful of a quick start for their new wide ace. However, it would take until the end of October for the Nigerian to score his first league goal, with a strike against Crystal Palace breaking his duck.

Just a week later, the 23-year-old would score once again, this time in a 1-1 draw away to Tottenham Hotspur. However, this would be his final league goal of his Foxes career, with two strikes in the FA Cup taking his tally to four for the season.

In 2017/18, Musa would find himself out of favour and, despite a goal in the EFL Cup, he would not play a single time in the league. He would return to CKSA Moscow on loan for the second half of the campaign.

The winger continued to be a star for his nation, but his time in England was all but over, and ultimately, he would never get a taste of the Premier League ever again as he made the switch to Saudi Arabia in the summer of 2018, joining Al-Nassr.