What Marti Cifuentes has said about Leicester City potentially signing Michail Antonio | OneFootball

As Michail Antonio continues to train with Leicester City, we looked at what manager Marti Cifuentes has said about potentially signing the striker.

The January transfer window may be approaching, but Leicester City could be set to dip into the free agent market to sign striker Michail Antonio.

After suffering relegation from the Premier League last season, Leicester lost a number of high-profile players in the summer, including the likes of Mads Hermansen, James Justin, Conor Coady, Wilfred Ndidi, Kasey McAteer and Jamie Vardy.

Given the Foxes' well-documented financial restrictions, it was a relatively quiet transfer window in terms of incomings, with Asmir Begovic joining on a free transfer and Jordan James, Aaron Ramsey and Julian Carranza all arriving on loan.

It is fair to say it has been a mixed start to the season for Leicester, but while manager Marti Cifuentes has come under pressure from supporters at various points of the campaign, they are firmly in play-off contention for now at least, with a potential points deduction still looming.

If the Foxes are to maintain their promotion push in the second half of the season, Cifuentes may need to bolster his squad, and it was revealed earlier this month that former West Ham United striker Antonio is currently training with the club.

Antonio scored 83 goals and provided 43 assists in 323 appearances during a successful decade-long spell with the Hammers, but he has not played since suffering a serious broken leg in a car crash last December, and he was released by the Premier League outfit in the summer.

In the latest update on Antonio's situation, Cifuentes confirmed this week that the 35-year-old is continuing to train with Leicester, and having been impressed by him during his time at the club, the Spaniard revealed that a decision on whether to offer him a contract will be made imminently.

"He has been training with us and we are having a look and soon we will probably take a decision," Cifuentes told Leicestershire Live.

"It would not make any sense that he was here if there was not interest from both sides. But this is always a negotiation and a conversation between two parties.

"He’s aware he could do a good job for us here. We think he could help us if he’s ready to help us and that’s what we’re discussing at the moment.

"We need to agree if we can do that, if we want to do that, if both parties feel happy to do it. I wouldn’t call it a trial. It’s more about getting to know each other and being aligned for the next (step) if it’s going to happen.

"He’s a player that has 17 years of experience of professional football. I don’t think anyone will be surprised by his quality or his level. At the same time, for the last year he has not been competing."

Leicester City facing big Michail Antonio dilemma as Marti Cifuentes decision looms

Given that he was a regular scorer for West Ham in the Premier League over the years, there is no doubt that Antonio could be a real asset for Leicester in the Championship if he is handed an opportunity to resume his career at the King Power Stadium.

With Patson Daka away at the Africa Cup of Nations with Zambia, Carranza and Jordan Ayew are currently the Foxes' only available senior strikers, and as neither have been particularly prolific this season, Cifuentes could certainly benefit from some extra firepower in his forward line.

However, as Antonio has not played a competitive game for over a year now, there are question marks over whether he will be able to rediscover the form he showed before his car accident, while Cifuentes will also have to consider how long it will take him to get back up to speed and proper match fitness.

According to Capology, Antonio was estimated to earn £85,000-a-week and £4,420,000-a-year during the final year of his West Ham contract last season, and although he would have to accept a significant drop in wages if he was to join Leicester, it remains to be seen whether they would even be able to afford his reduced salary given their financial limitations.