With just days left of the summer transfer window, Leicester City’s fire sale continues. A whole host of players have already departed, whilst Bilal El Khannouss, Harry Winks and James Justin could all follow suit. Wout Faes is the latest target as the Belgian International nears his fourth season at Leicester. With questions over his future at the football club, could a move away be necessary?
Wout Faes Could Depart Leicester Following Beskitas Approach
Wout Faes: On The Move?
As reported by Fabrizio Romano, Besiktas have made an approach for Wout Faes. The Turkish giants have already bought from the Foxes this transfer window, as they triggered Wilfred Ndidi’s release clause earlier this month. The City duo wouldn’t be the only former Premier League players in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Tammy Abraham and Gabriel Paulista all made the move.
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Faes, who is in his penultimate year of his contract, is one of the names within Besiktas’ shortlist. Another name mentioned was Danilho Doekhi.
As mentioned prior, Faes would be joining the long list of players to have departed City since last season. Jamie Vardy, Danny Ward, and Daniel Iversen were the players released, whilst Ndidi, Mads Hermansen, Conor Coady, and Kasey McAteer have all been sold for fees. It’s clear that the hierarchy wants to rebuild this season, and the addition of academy talents such as Jeremy Monga and Louis Page suggests this.
How Would This Move Affect Leicester City?
Despite his flaws, Faes does possess quality and is someone with extensive experience. He has 28 caps for Belgium and featured at the pinnacle of football in squads for the Euros and World Cup. The 27-year-old’s ball carrying from deep is superb as he was averaging 1.67 carriers into the final third per 90 last time in the Championship. He is also a decent passer for the level and can be pivotal to a more possession-oriented side.
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Despite beginning this season well with a goal and assist in the league, he is incredibly mistake-prone. An example to support this is the brace of own goals away at Anfield, which cost the Foxes three points. Likewise, his commitment to the project is questionable. He cupped his ears at the Leicester supporters after scoring on the open day, which may suggest issues. Additionally, it is a World Cup year, so he may be eager to play at a higher level to secure minutes for the national team.
However, regardless of what you think of Faes, losing another player this close to the deadline is problematic. The club haven’t been active throughout the transfer window, so finding the perfect profile this late on is unlikely. We have already seen Marti Cifuentes’ system needs a centre-back who can break lines but is also athletic and quick enough to play in a high line. Jannik Vestergaard has proved to lack the recovery pace, whilst Caleb Okoli isn’t a line-breaker. Therefore, could a Faes departure weaken the Leicester City squad even more?
