Leicester City need plan of action for 13 players this summer
While Leicester City only have three players whose deals come to an end this summer, there are 10 more whose contracts expire in 2026, and decisions will need to be made
Every summer is a busy one at Leicester City as they shape their squad for the new season, but this summer could be a particularly busy one, no matter which division they are in. They’re going to need to make decisions over lots of players’ futures.
There are only three first-team players whose contracts are up this summer and those don’t feel like particularly tough calls to make. Goalkeepers Daniel Iversen and Danny Ward, the club’s third and fourth-choice options at the moment, both see their contracts expire and both are expected to leave on free transfers. Iversen should receive plenty of Championship interest.
For Jamie Vardy, it could be a matter of where City are. If they remain in the Premier League, then maybe he could get another 12 months. Yes, he’s 38, but he’s City’s top scorer this season and has more than doubled his goal tally from two seasons ago. He has no plans to retire and Ruud van Nistelrooy has backed him to keep playing.
If he contributes as much as he has so far during the remainder of the campaign, he might keep City up, and then may deserve a new deal. If City go down, it becomes a more difficult matter, knowing their budget will drastically reduce.
But what’s making this summer an especially busy one is not those players in the final few months’ of their contracts, but those whose deals expire in 2026. There are 10 such first-team players and City need a plan of action on each.
There are few choices. This summer will be the last big window in which they can sell those players and avoid losing them on a free transfer. That may be a consideration, especially if City fall into the Championship.
For some, their contracts could be extended. For others, they could see out the final year of their deals at the King Power Stadium with the club happy to let them go on a free. Of course, City could wait to see how players perform in the 25-26 campaign and then make a decision on their futures, but by then they will be at risk of other clubs offering them contracts.
Of those 10 players, the simplest decision is probably regarding Jakub Stolarczyk. Given his performances as Mads Hermansen’s deputy over the past 18 months, and given his potential to improve, it feels likely that he would be the subject of a fresh contract.
For the others, it’s more difficult. There are three players in their 30s whose deals expire in 2026 in Jordan Ayew,Conor Coady and Ricardo Pereira. Because of their age it may be difficult to sell them anyway and so perhaps they will continue with the club to the ends of their deals.
For Ricardo, fans would want him to stay. A decision likely rests on how he maintains his fitness next term. If he suffers a serious injury like he has this season, City would be reluctant to offer him a new deal.
There are three players who are currently regular starters for the club in Boubakary Soumare,Harry Winks and James Justin. If Soumare continues to play as he is now and City stay in the Premier League, then it’s not out of the question that his stay is extended. But if they go down, he’s likely played well enough that he will be sold. For Winks and Justin, it may be that City put the decision on hold for a year and see how they perform in 25-26.
