Leicester City can secure golden ticket with £5m+ Leyton Orient deal | OneFootball

Leicester City must push to sign Dom Ballard to bolster their promotion credentials

Leicester City will be desperate to earn promotion back to the Championship at the first time of asking next season.

The Foxes have suffered back-to-back relegations, falling from the Premier League to League One in just 12 months.

Russell Martin has been placed in charge of the first team squad, with the club hoping he can steer the team out of the third division.

Financial issues have plagued the Leicestershire outfit in recent years, and a six point deduction penalty for breaching the profit and sustainability rules ultimately led to them finishing 23rd in the Championship.

Leicester were five points adrift of safety, and are now preparing for life in League One as a result.

But the club can still turn things around provided they make the right moves this summer to set themselves up for automatic promotion in 2027.

Leicester have to take advantage of Dom Ballard situation at Leyton Orient

Action Images

Leicester have to be in the market for a new striker this summer if they are to gain promotion to the Championship.

Patson Daka and Jordan Ayew’s departures have left them with no out-and-out number nine, with Conor Chaplin being the closest thing in the squad to one.

And it’s unlikely that a return to the club for Jamie Vardy will be on the cards either, despite the 39-year-old now being a free agent just 12 months after departing the King Power for Cremonese.

Dom Ballard is the obvious choice for the Foxes after his stunning campaign for Leyton Orient.

The 21-year-old made the switch to the O’s from Southampton, and he contributed 23 goals and four assists for Richie Wellens’ side last season.

While the London outfit struggled for form, it was Ballard’s goals that kept them in the division, and it’s easy to imagine what kind of impact he could have under a coach like Martin.

Bristol City were linked with the forward, but were unable to agree terms with Leyton Orient, who are seeking around the £5 million mark in order to sell.

The Robins have instead signed Lorent Tolaj from Plymouth Argyle, and Leicester should now take advantage while the door is still open to Ballard.

What Dom Ballard can bring to Leicester City

Action Images

Ballard scored 23 goals from an expected goals (xG) of 19.3, which indicates it wasn’t just a flashy scoring run that he can’t replicate (all stats from FotMob).

The forward also took 2.33 shots per 90 for Wellens’ side last season despite their difficult form.

And while he wasn’t contributing much in terms of creating for others, his level of goalscoring meant he more than made up for it.

Leicester will need someone that can find the back of the net consistently if they’re going to compete for promotion, and Ballard has shown that’s exactly what he can do.

The youngster also has the potential to scale into becoming a Championship striker as well in the future, which makes him a strong long-term option to have in Martin’s squad as well.

If Leicester can find the resources to put together a convincing bid for Ballard, then they must strike following Bristol City’s failure to secure a deal.

The 21-year-old could prove the difference between quickly getting out of League One, and getting mired in the third tier for multiple campaigns, which Leicester simply cannot afford after a disastorous 12 months.