With recent success over the last decade, it comes as no surprise that Leicester City have been willing to spend big. Due to Jamie Vardy’s age and success, the club have constantly looked for strikers to either complement his style or be his successor. Although this hasn’t worked out, Vardy was still able to be successful, having scored 200 goals. With the 38-year-old recently departing, the Foxes may have to splash the cash on a new striker this summer. Here are the five most expensive Leicester City strikers ever.
Five Most Expensive Leicester City Strikers Ever
1. Islam Slimani – £29 Million
Following the historic Premier League title win in 2016, Claudio Ranieri’s side needed to strengthen amid the influx of cash. With Champions League football on the horizon, the club wanted to be competitive. This led to the Algerian target man signing for a club-record fee of £29m.
Read More: The 2015/16 Leicester City Title Winning Signings: Where They Are Now
The forward joined from Sporting Lisbon after scoring a stunning 31 goals the previous season. However, he couldn’t replicate this in England and struggled for the most part. A return of 13 goals in 46 appearances proved not enough as he went on loan spells to Newcastle United, Monaco and Fenerbahce. His time in the East Midlands then came to an end in 2021 as he moved to Lyon on a free transfer.
2. Kelechi Iheanacho – £25 Million
The then Manchester City “wonderkid” joined the Foxes in August 2017 under manager Craig Shakespeare. Gabriel Jesus’ move to Manchester that same year led to a decrease in minutes and the subsequent move. During the Nigerian’s stint in royal blue, he often lacked consistency. A tally of just 61 goals in 232 outings certainly suggests this.
The now 28-year-old’s best run of form for the club came in the 2020/21 season, where he scored 19 goals. Four of which came in the FA Cup, which proved to be crucial in Brendan Rodgers’ side picking up silverware that year. Iheanacho then moved to Sevilla in 2024 as his contract expired.
3. Patson Daka – £22 Million
Similarly to Slimani, the East Midlands outfit were coming off a high when they completed the signing of Patson Daka. Rogers’ side had won the aforementioned FA Cup and placed 5th in the Premier League that season. They needed the extra boost to solidify themselves as a consistent Europe-chasing squad.
Read More: Five Leicester City Academy Graduates Who Played for England
The Zambian international joined after scoring 34 goals in Austria but, like his predecessors, he couldn’t do this for the Foxes. 11 goals in his first season wasn’t necessarily the worst, and his four goals away in Moscow showed he had quality. Despite this, he continues to struggle, having managed just one goal last season.
4. Leonardo Ulloa – £8 Million
In contrast to the names mentioned above, Leonardo Ullo’s arrival in Leicester was during a completely different period. The club recently won promotion back to the Premier League, whilst manager Nigel Pearson was still in control.
As a result of a lack of centre forwards, the then Championship champions broke their club record fee. The Argentine joined from Brighton and found the net on 13 occasions in his first campaign, which was pivotal in ‘The Great Escape’.
Read More: Leicester City 2014/15 Great Escape Side: Where Are They Now?
In the three seasons that followed, these performances didn’t continue as he scored just six times. Regardless, he still came up with some big moments during his time in the Premier League, with the ‘Earthquake goal’ certainly being a standout.
5. Tom Cannon – £7.5 Million
A deadline day deal in the summer of 2023 saw Cannon swap Merseyside for the East Midlands. He joined Enzo Maresca’s side from Everton in the hopes of leading the club back to the Premier League. Though he played just 13 times in the league, he still managed to find the net on two occasions.
As a result, the following season under Steve Cooper, the forward returned to the second tier on loan. 11 goals in 25 games for a struggling Stoke side proved enough for Sheffield United to pull the trigger that winter. The Blades spent £10m on the deal, which gave Leicester a overall profit. Since moving to Yorkshire, he has found the net on just one occasion, which may suggest the Foxes made the right decision.
