Due to Leicester City’s relegation to the Championship, Bilal El Khannouss’ departure looks more and more likely. The ‘wonderkid’ arrived in the East Midlands last summer from Genk, after playing almost 100 games as a teenager. In his first season in England, he managed just three goals and five assists, but remained a bright spark in a poor side.
Sunderland Lead Race for Bilal El Khannouss
Bilal El Khannouss: Set To Leave?
As reported by L’Équipe, Sunderland have emerged in the lead for Bilal El Khannouss’ services. The Black Cats won promotion courtesy of the play-offs and have shown intent to buy young players with high potential. The likes of Habib Diarra, Simon Adingra and many others have already joined the exciting project for this season.
Other clubs in contention for the Moroccan International include West Ham and AS Monaco. Both of these sides would offer more stability compared to Sunderland, especially given the struggles of newly promoted sides recently.
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The departure of the 21-year-old would currently be the Foxes’ only exit this summer. Due to the managerial saga still continuing, the much-awaited rebuild is yet to take place.
How Does This Affect Leicester City
Having returned from international duty, the attacking midfielder has already joined back with the club at Seagrave. This past weekend, he even featured for an hour against OH Leuven, in City’s second pre-season friendly.
Though El Khannouss had his struggles last season, he was one of the only players who could keep their head held high after relegation. He presses high, offers energy, and wants to get on the ball and make things happen. He is comfortable in tight spaces, and often drops deep to aid build-up. Furthermore, he can also be a threat in front of the goal, as he makes line-breaking passes or finds the net himself.
Whilst Leicester keeping hold of him would be a major boost for their upcoming campaign, removing players from the squad is also important. Alex Crook reported just last week that the club will have to sell in order to bring new players in. Therefore, with a striker and other positions being a priority, the sale of a top prospect may be necessary, not to mention the fact that the player may also want to depart due to higher ambitions above the second tier.
