Leicester City deal for Man City man makes sense - Can it be a Enzo Maresca favour? | OneFootball

Max Alleyne would be an ambitious but brilliant signing on loan for Leicester City next season

Leicester City will be gearing up for a big squad refresh over the summer transfer window as they prepare for only their second third-tier campaign in their existence.

This Leicester side is arguably the strongest squad, on paper, to ever be relegated to League One, with the majority of the personnel being part of the team that won the Championship in 2023/24, and the remaining few bought while they were a Premier League club.

Therefore, the prospect of playing in the English third tier for the bulk of the Foxes squad won't be something they'll be interested in, and whoever does become the new manager at the King Power Stadium will have to oversee numerous additions, you'd feel.

In the centre of the defence, Leicester have already announced that Jamal Lascelles won't be continuing with the club after he was released at the end of his contract. Caleb Okoli played regularly in Serie A before his move to the East Midlands, so he is likely not to stay around, and Jannik Vestergaard turns 34 before the new season begins, so he may be replaced due to his age.

A new centre-back may be on the shopping list at the King Power this summer, and Leicester could send a message to the rest of their third-tier peers if they were to loan Manchester City youngster Max Alleyne for the campaign.

Leicester City should loan Max Alleyne after a promising breakout season last year

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This time last year, young centre-back Alleyne hadn't made his professional debut, but had starred in the extremely strong Manchester City under-21s side, winning three PL2 titles and captaining the side in the EFL Trophy against Football League opposition.

This summer, Pep Guardiola decided to send him out on loan to Watford in the Championship for his first taste of senior football, and he did a good job at Vicarage Road.

The 20-year-old was almost ever-present under Paulo Pezzolano, playing attractive football for a side who were underperforming their underlying numbers. When the Uruguayan was sacked, he went through a period out of the side under Javi Gracia, before re-emerging in December.

Back in the starting eleven, Alleyne didn't look out of place, as the Hornets went on a brilliant run to end the calendar year. A 3-0 win over Birmingham City on New Year's Day had Watford fourth in the Championship.

Unfortunately for them, though, that would be the final time that Alleyne played for Javi Gracia's side, as an injury crisis back at the Etihad Stadium forced Pep Guardiola to recall the 20-year-old and throw him into the fold at his parent club.

He'd start his first two Premier League games back at City, a 1-1 draw against Brighton and Hove Albion and a loss in the Manchester derby against United, and would go on to make seven senior appearances in the second half of the season, including both legs of the EFL Cup semi-final win over Newcastle United and against Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League.

Alleyne's game time would decrease massively when seasoned names got back healthy, but City fans now know who the 20-year-old is, and will have an eye on where he ends up next season to help continue his development.

After performing well in the Championship for a Watford side who were challenging for promotion, the expectations will be for another second-tier loan. So, if Leicester can bring him to League One, he'd be a statement signing ahead of what they'll hope to be a promotion-winning season.

Managerial movement at both clubs could make Max Alleyne's move to Leicester City realistic

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Both Manchester City and Leicester are still figuring out who will guide them into the 2026/27 campaign, but it only seems a matter of time before their first choices are in the dugout.

Former Leicester boss Enzo Maresca is the favourite to succeed his former mentor Guardiola in the City dugout, with reports earlier this week stating that the Citizens and Maresca's former club, Chelsea, are "locked in negotiations," as the Blues believe they are due compensation for the Italian boss.

Meanwhile, recent reports state that former Southampton and Rangers boss Russell Martin is in advanced talks to become the new head coach at Leicester.

Maresca is held in high regard at the King Power Stadium, with their last successful season coming under him in 2023/24, winning the Championship title before he moved to Chelsea the summer afterwards.

If he does take the dugout role at the Etihad, that could open the door for Alleyne to move to Leicester on loan, as the former manager looks to help out the Foxes en route to getting back where many critics believe they belong.

If Martin becomes the new Foxes boss, it would increase that likelihood even more, too, as his possession-based philosophy would help Alleyne become more comfortable on the ball, which would put him in good standing to thrive under a City system as and when he's deemed ready to make inroads into the first-team squad in Manchester.

It'd be an ambitious move, but one that could definitely happen if the stars align this summer. If Alleyne does end up in League One, he could easily establish himself as one of the best defenders in the division next season.