Leicester City Identify ‘Out of Favour’ Playmaker Capable Of 20+ Goal Contributions
Thus far, Leicester City’s transfer window has been all about departures. Four players have already left, whilst Bilal El Khannouss and James Justin’s exits seem imminent. A rebuild is in action, and the club are certainly looking to build a more youthful and attractive project this season. Therefore, with the lack of arrivals and the need to strengthen Marti Cifuentes’ squad, it comes as no surprise that the Foxes are now active, looking at Calvin Stengs.
Leicester City Target Dutch Star Who Flourished Under Arne Slot
Calvin Stengs: Interest From Abroad
As reported by Mike Verweij, Calvin Stengs is attracting interest from Leicester City and Serie A newcomers Pisa. The Dutchman arrived at Feyenoord back in 2023 and produced a stellar campaign under Arne Slot, where he tallied 24 goal contributions.
However, an injury-riddled 2024/25 season has hurt the momentum gained and left him benched for all four of the club’s opening fixtures. The talented playmaker has fallen “out of favour” under Robin Van Persie, as a starting place is “no longer a guarantee”.
As a result, links have suggested Celtic could also be in for the 26-year-old, but nothing has advanced. With the attacker now nearing his prime, minutes will be important, and the chance to play abroad may be enticing. Spells in both Belgium and France are already on Steng’s impressive resume, although the stint with Nice proved to be underwhelming.
Showing intent to sign players is certainly positive, especially after a lack of intent for the last few transfer windows. With Stengs’ success in central areas at Feyenoord, he will likely be eyed as an El Khannouss replacement.
The Moroccan has been integral to the Foxes for the last eight months and has an influential profile. He likes to drop deep and rotate with others, but also has piercing through balls and a strong shooting technique, which allows him to be a threat in all areas. Therefore, finding someone to take on the mantle and be the outlet for Cifuentes is going to be tough.
However, with Stengs’ attributes, he may be the ideal profile. Standing at six feet two inches tall, his height could become a valuable asset for City, especially considering there have been 89 cross attempts in their first four fixtures. The use of Kasey McAteer’s height at the back post was a clear tactical feature against Huddersfield, as Monga continuously produced deep crosses.
In addition to this, he was a key part of Slot’s flexibility at Feyenoord as he is comfortable in a plethora of areas. This further suits Cifuentes’ system as the attacking midfielder is expected to dictate from deep, move out wide for overloads, or make runs in the half-space.
A final area where Stengs could contribute is output. During the Foxes’ opening fixtures, finding goals has been an issue as there is a reliance on individual brilliance. Adding a player with 28 assists in his last three seasons would certainly aid this problem and add more central threat.
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