Leicester City squad audit: Who should stay and who should go?

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Ruud van Nistelrooy says he knows what is required to get Leicester City back in shape for their second Championship promotion challenge in three years.

The club’s owner and chairman, Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, says that planning has already begun, but we are yet to find out whether Van Nistelrooy will still be at the helm.

Clarity is crucial. There is much work to be done to ensure Leicester’s battered and beleaguered squad is ready after a humbling relegation from the Premier League.

Players will have to be moved on and the budget slashed, but that may not be so easy. Only three players are out of contract this summer but nine are set to enter their final year of their deals.

Van Nistelrooy says he knows how to shape Leicester next season (Darren Staples/AFP via Getty Images)

Leicester continue to try to conform to the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR). So far, they avoided a charge through the courts over the issue of jurisdiction (which league can charge them and when, under the actual legal wording of the regulations) but the Premier League and the English Football League (EFL, which governs the Championship) have been working to tighten those regulations.

They had a budget of £107million ($142m at current rates) two years ago — £30m more than their rivals — but this time, they will probably be placed under an EFL business plan, which will restrict their budget and force them to sell. But it may not be easy to move on high earners who are unwilling to accept lower wages at other clubs, or even find buyers.

Van Nistelrooy will look to young players already at the club, such as Will Alves (20) and Ben Nelson (21), but player sales will be a big part of the plan for this summer.

Here, The Athletic audits the Leicester squad to determine where the cuts could come.

Goalkeepers

Mads Hermansen (contract expires June 2028) — Sell

The 24-year-old is arguably Leicester’s biggest asset and his sale seems inevitable. Leicester may have kept just two clean sheets and conceded 76 goals in 35 league games this season, but Hermansen has shown he should be playing at the highest level.

Jakub Stolarczyk (June 2026) — Keep

When called up, the former Poland Under-21 international has stepped in superbly for Hermansen and looks certain to start next season as Leicester’s No 1, but they will have to bring in other ‘keepers to give Stolarczyk, also 24, competition.

Stolarczyk appears set for a larger role in the Championship (Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

Daniel Iversen (June 2025) — Release

The big Dane has shown he is a competent goalkeeper, especially when out on loan. He is a strong shot stopper but he has looked uncomfortable with the ball at his feet, so has been surplus to requirements. He is tipped for a return to Preston North End, where he did superbly well on loan in the 2021-22 season.

Danny Ward (June 2025) — Release

Ward has had a frustrating seven years with Leicester after signing from Liverpool for £10m in 2018 and had to wait four years to make his Premier League debut. When he got his chance to step out of Kasper Schmeichel’s shadow, it did not go well during the relegation season and he has made just 29 top-flight appearances.

Full-backs

Ricardo Pereira (June 2026) — Keep

When fully fit, Pereira is one of the best players in the squad, but his injuries have made him hard to rely on. He played an important role in the Championship title season and could do again, if he can stay fit.

James Justin (June 2026) — Keep

Not his best season. Justin has been targeted for criticism by a section of the fans, but he has continually been left exposed. Like Pereira, Justin has suffered from injuries during his Leicester career but he has started 31 league games this season. His versatility would be an asset next season.

Woyo Coulibaly (June 2029) — Sell

The only player signed in January, but he has started just one game and was dragged off at half-time. It is difficult to assess the Frenchman on such limited pitch time, but Leicester can’t afford to carry anyone next season.

Victor Kristiansen (June 2028) — Sell

The Denmark international’s only experience of the Premier League has been relegation.  It may be time for all concerned to have a fresh start.

Luke Thomas (June 2026) — Keep

The academy graduate has come into the side in the latter stages of this season and shown that he does have a future at Leicester. The 23-year-old has played as a left central defender and left-back, and can defend the back post, which has been an area of weakness this season. With one year left on his contract, he is worth a new deal.

Faes (left) and Thomas (right) compete for a high ball (Darren Staples/AFP via Getty Images)

Central defenders

Wout Faes (June 2027) — Sell

Like Kristiansen, Faes’ time in the Premier League has been nothing but a struggle. He needed convincing to drop into the Championship last time and he will probably be even more reluctant now. As a Belgium international, he will have suitors but Leicester may have to accept a below-valuation offer to sell him.

Conor Coady (June 2026) — Keep

Leicester have a big decision to make. Injuries in both preseasons since Coady joined the club in 2023 have hampered his impact, but with Jamie Vardy leaving, Leicester will need leadership to guide so many young players. Coady, 32, is another higher earner but has just one year left on his contract.

Jannik Vestergaard (June 2027) — Sell

If any player has summed up the problems at the club over the last few years, then it is Vestergaard. Wanted and then unwanted by Brendan Rodgers, he was one of the players of the season in the Championship under Enzo Maresca but both Steve Cooper and Van Nistelrooy have used him sparingly and he hasn’t been in the last eight matchday squads. A fresh start is best for all concerned.

Caleb Okoli (June 2029) — Keep

The 23-year-old is another one of the summer signings who have hardly featured this season — another indication of the muddled recruitment thinking. He has started just 12 league games and relegation may convince him to look elsewhere for regular first-team football, but he could be a useful player to have around in the Championship.

Okoli celebrates after making it 2-2 at Brighton & Hove Albion (Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images)

Harry Souttar (June 2028) — Sell

Not a lot has gone right for Souttar after joining Leicester in January 2023 and even his latest loan spell at Sheffield United ended with a ruptured Achilles. It is hard to imagine he will get the chance to resurrect his Leicester career this summer.

Midfielders

Hamza Choudhury (June 2027) — Keep

Went out on loan to gain some much-needed game time last season but the Bangladesh international could have a role to play next season. Another academy graduate who always seemed to care about playing for Leicester when given the chance. The 27-year-old’s fully committed style and energy may be just what Van Nistelrooy is looking for.

Wilfred Ndidi (June 2027) — Keep

Leicester made a big financial commitment to re-sign Ndidi last summer and on his day, he is an outstanding defensive midfielder, but he has struggled to find his best form for the last three years. He could be an asset but he could also be a key player next season.

Oliver Skipp (June 2029) — Keep

Skipp’s move from Tottenham Hotspur, in a move worth more than £20m, has been held up as an example of Leicester’s failed transfer policy. The 24-year-old did not make anywhere near the impact such a large investment would warrant, but he has hardly been given a run of games either. At his age and with a full pre-season, he could yet show his worth.

Boubakary Soumare (June 2026) — Sell

In contrast, Soumare certainly has been granted plenty of opportunities. The Frenchman has all the physical attributes required to succeed and showed his potential in spells but inconsistency has blighted his Leicester career. It appears to be a mental issue. He wanted it to work at Leicester, but it simply hasn’t.

Harry Winks (June 2026) — Sell

Leicester spent big to recruit Winks when they dropped into the Championship last time and he was the best midfielder in the division, perfect for Maresca’s possession-based style of play. But in the Premier League, where Leicester had less possession and needed to be more resilient defensively, he struggled.

He has also fallen out of favour with Van Nistelrooy for refusing to stay over at the training ground between close training sessions because he wants to be closer to his partner and newborn child. If Van Nistelrooy stays, Winks, 29, may have to go.

Winks and Soumare have endured a frustrating time in the top flight (Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Forwards

Jordan Ayew (June 2026) — Sell

Cooper wanted to add some experience to his squad but when he signed Ayew from Crystal Palace, it was an uninspiring move for many Leicester fans. If Van Nistelrooy wants to move forward with a more energetic, high-pressing style of play, then the 33-year-old would be an expensive back-up player next season.

Bobby De Cordova-Reid (June 2027) — Sell

De Cordova-Reid was signed for similar reasons as Ayew but, at 32, his best days have passed. He made nine starts in the league and contributed one goal and three assists. With two years still to run on his contract, moving him on will be difficult.

Bilal El Khannouss (June 2028) — Sell

Everyone associated with Leicester would love to see the Morocco international stay but, in reality, it is unlikely. EL Khannouss has been the only signing of the season to improve the starting lineup and he is one of the club’s biggest assets, along with Hermansen. He has shown he can perform in a top European division and will want to stay at this level. There will be no shortage of interest.

El Khannouss has been a rare bright spark in Leicester’s season (Glyn Kirk/AFP via Getty Images)

Abdul Fatawu (June 2029) — Keep

In a season of disappointments, the fact Fatawu didn’t get the chance to show what he could do in the Premier League with a decent run of games because of a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament injury is one of the biggest, but that may mean Leicester will benefit from his return next season in the Championship.

Michael Golding (June 2028) — Keep

Golding joined from Chelsea for £5m last summer with a view to the attacking midfielder being part of Leicester’s future, rather than the immediate campaign. A succession of injuries hampered his progress and the 18-year-old had to wait until the home game against Southampton last weekend for his first-team debut. He will be given a chance to impress during pre-season.

Kasey McAteer (June 2028) — Keep

The academy graduate has proven, at Championship level, that he can be effective and bring something a little different to the attack. The 23-year-old can operate on both flanks, likes to play on the inside, and has an eye for goal.

Stephy Mavididi (June 2028) — Keep

After a frustrating season, Mavididi was starting to show what he could do in the Premier League before an injury ended his season prematurely. In tandem with Fatawu, Mavididi, who turns 27 in May, tore up the Championship two years ago and will be an important figure again this time.

Strikers

Jamie Vardy (June 2025)  — Departing

After 13 sensational years, 498 appearances and 199 goals, Vardy is leaving as the greatest piece of transfer business the club has ever done. He is irreplaceable, but Leicester have to find someone to step up next season.

Vardy silenced all the doubters at Leicester (Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

Patson Daka (June 2026) — Sell

Moscow, October 2021. That was the night that Daka announced himself as Leicester’s next big hit of a signing, scoring all four goals in a 4-3 win in the Europa League. He then became Leicester’s all-time top scorer in European competition. He has not hit those heights since and is unlikely to be Leicester’s future No 9.

(Top photos of Jannik Vestergaard and Kasey McAteer: Getty Images)

This news was originally published on this post .

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