Leicester City may struggle to hold on to playmaker Bilal El Khannouss as multiple sides, including a new contender, have assessed the 21-year-old.
The Moroccan was the shining light in an otherwise dire season for The Foxes as they were relegated back into the Championship, unable to build upon Enzo Maresca’s Championship-winning team. In 27 starts, he recorded two goals and three assists but was lauded for his creativity at multiple points across the campaign.
Premier League Sides Circle
According to French outlet L’Equipe earlier this month, Sunderland and West Ham United are all interested in signing El Khannouss, with a new report in The Athletic also revealing Leeds United have evaluated a move. The Whites are not reportedly in active pursuit of the Foxes player, with other options named including Dilane Bakwa of Strasbourg in Ligue 1.
The Whites, who look certain to sell former Wrexham target Patrick Bamford this window, have been linked with adding a new attacking midfielder to their squad for the past 12 months to offer Daniel Farke an alternative to Brendan Aaronson. Sunderland have invested heavily in attacking support this month, with Simon Adingra, Chemsdine Talbi and Habib Diarra all arriving at the Stadium of Light.
A switch to West Ham for Khannouss could mean a double switch for Leicester players in East London, with goalkeeper Mads Hermansen also touted for a move. Reports from Sky Sports earlier this week stated that the Hammers were gearing up to submit a formal approach this week for the Danish international.
Other reports have linked both Arsenal and Aston Villa to the Moroccan, but with the Gunners spending heavily on Noni Madueke and are expected to do the same with Viktor Gyokeres, their interest has cooled. Unai Emery’s side remain keen, but it is Sunderland who lead the chase according to Loic Tanzi, who believe the Black Cats are negotiating a deal under his £22.5 million release clause.
Writers’ View
After a promising opening season at Leicester City, it does feel inevitable that Bilal El Khannouss will leave the club this window. Despite his baseline numbers not being particularly impressive, the 21-year-old was a real danger to defences with his dribbling and build-up play, which usually ended up with no end result. Leeds United’s emergence is not surprising as they are yet to sign an attacking midfielder, a position that has been a priority since last summer for The Whites. Whether this interest materialises into something more formal remains to be seen.
