Leicester City are flying high in the Championship and sit top of the table by 11 points, but with success comes interest in their players from clubs around Europe.
A 5-0 thrashing of Stoke City at the Bet365 Stadium on Saturday afternoon was the Foxes’ 23rd victory of the campaign so far. With 16 games still remaining in the regular league season, the former Premier League side look destined for a return to the top-flight.
One of the goalscorers at the weekend was attacker Patson Daka. Having been away for most of January at the African Cup Of Nations, the Zambian centre-forward returned to club duty just over a week ago as Leicester City comfortably beat Swansea City 3-1, grabbing an assist before bagging a brace on Saturday at Stoke.
The 25-year-old hasn’t featured much under head coach Enzo Maresca this term but has still managed to record nine goal contributions in merely 10 appearances, including six goals.
Upon the club’s relegation to the Championship last season, Daka garnered interest from several clubs in Europe’s top-five leagues, including Bournemouth, Real Betis and AS Roma but no deal ever came to fruition.
However, according to Spanish outlet Estadio Deportivo, Real Betis are keen to make a move once more for the Zambia international once the summer transfer window rolls around as head coach Manuel Pellegrini is looking to bolster his forward line.
Daka moved to the King Power Stadium from Red Bull Salzburg back in 2021 for a reported £23 million, but his market value currently stands at £12 million, as per Transfermarkt. It is currently unknown just how much Leicester City are looking to get for the player, nor if they are even open to selling him in the first place.
Writer’s View
Daka hasn’t featured as much as he’d have liked this season due to AFCON and the excellent form of Leicester City’s other forwards. However, his record of nine goal contributions in nine Championship games is extremely impressive.
Since returning, the Zambian attacker looks like a man possessed and it’s certainly no surprise that clubs competing in Europe are interested in taking him off Leicester’s hands. However, given he still has over two years remaining on his deal, the Foxes are well within their rights to ask for a hefty fee in return.
Deputy Head of Writing