Steve Cooper questioned over questionable Leicester City signing

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·29 October 2024

Steve Cooper questioned over questionable Leicester City signing

Steve Cooper signed Bilal El Khannouss for £20m from Genk to bring in as a midfield reinforcement with several key departures in mind from the last two transfer windows. Having been quite an expensive signing considering the lack of funds which aided in the departure of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, it is unsurprising that questions have been raised regarding this transfer.

Leicester City’s Steve Cooper comments

The Welshman has a lot of questions to answer regarding the signing. Firstly, with the player costing so much, it is surprising the Foxes have seen so little of Khannouss in either starting XI’s or as a substitute: appearing twice is hardly an impressive return for a new signing. Secondly, if the player is talented enough so command such a fee, then why have we seen the player so little? Finally, when can the supporters expect so see the King Power’s latest attacking midfielder in the team? Most answered by Cooper.

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"That’s normal. There’s no shame in it. It’s not a negative thing. If we can match up his profile into the formation and tactics with and without the ball that we want, once it gets to where we want it to be"- Steve Cooper

It would seem the direct response from Leicester City is that Bilal El Khannouss is not entirely ready for life as a Premier League footballer. Obviously, this is a fair statement from the Foxes’ boss: Khannouss does need time to adjust to the EPL, the system, and of course this is being impacted by the lack of game time and non-intense mentoring which has seen him either less responsibility.

"he came right at the end of the transfer window, he’s come from a different country, he’s had a couple of international breaks, we’re transitioning back into being a Premier League team. There’s a lot of other things going on"- Steve Cooper

It is fair to say that Khannouss came in at a bad time be be prepared for a long campaign in the EPL. Leicester cannot risk their survival on someone ill-prepared but could be great, There has been a great deal of events, happenings, and coincidences which have compounded around the attacking midfielder struggling to get off to the races with the Foxes. He needs time to adapt, and hopefully he will get to where he needs to be for the team.

"What I know about Bilal is that he’s going to be a good player for the club. We’re really excited to have him and we’re enjoying working with him and understanding him even more. We’re also giving him a programme of where we want him to play in the team"- Steve Cooper

Steve Cooper is completely correct here. From what little I have seen on the pitch, Bilal El Khannouss is an exciting young attacking midfielder. However, we see it countless times: not every player is ready for the Premier League without a little bit of work. It is intense. The passion, the energy, the killer passes I have seen multiple times… There is a player to work with, to develop, to grow, and to create a perfect addition to our team.