Following a tumultuous summer transfer window, Bilal El Khannouss has made his stance clear on the situation. The Moroccan arrived in Leicester just over a year ago and was a bright spark in one of the worst Premier League sides ever. His ability in tight spaces and when dropping deep makes him a unique profile that attracted plenty of interest. Despite this, his move away from the East Midlands didn’t come until the final days of the window. Therefore, here is what El Khannouss really thought during the drawn-out saga.
Bilal El Khannouss Reveals All On Summer Transfer Window Saga
Bilal El Khannouss: Never Interested in the Championship
When recently speaking to Foot Mercato, El Khannouss discussed his tenure with City and the eventual move away. He said: “I couldn’t see myself staying in the Championship, I aim much higher than that.” The 21-year-old saying this perhaps isn’t the biggest surprise, as he was said to be willing to sit in the stands for the rest of the season if a move didn’t materialise. This even came into action when he didn’t feature in the Foxes’ last two games of August against Charlton and Birmingham City.
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In addition to this, El Khannouss also acknowledged Leicester’s hope of him staying for the campaign. He said: “At the end of the transfer window, they must have had a little more hope that I would stay. It was out of the question for me, and I told them.” This newfound hope may have come from the midfielder playing in the opening two fixtures, where he tallied two assists. However, after being replaced at half-time away at Preston, the relationship seemed to have reached an all-time low.
In the end, El Khannouss ended up departing for Stuttgart on a loan deal. This was after a proposed move to Crystal Palace collapsed in the final days of the transfer window, as Leicester’s bid to satisfy PSR was complete. As a result, the completion of a loan with an option to buy deal soon came, thus providing the German side with a relatively low fee to pay next summer. Since joining Stuttgart, he has already managed five goals and four assists in 19 games, which are numbers far stronger than last season.
How Does This Affect Leicester and Bilal El Khannouss?
El Khannouss not wanting to play in the Championship is fair. He is 21 years old and has already shown the quality he has in the Premier League. Therefore, it’s no surprise his ambitions were significantly higher than to play in the second tier. That said, the move seems to have paid off as he is excelling in the Bundesliga, whilst young Leicester talents like Abdul Fatawu are struggling in the Championship. However, could he have gone about it in a better way?
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Refusing to play and sitting in the stands is a sign of a poor attitude, which was unnecessary. As much as El Khannouss was better than many of his Leicester teammates, he wasn’t perfect. His output in front of the goal was lacking, and the consistency across the season also wasn’t there. In the first few months under Steve Cooper, he struggled and couldn’t even make the starting eleven. Therefore, it is easy to see why Leicester and others felt a season in the Championship may have helped with his development.
As for the future, the deal is more than likely to become permanent. It is evident that the relations between the club and the player are completely fractured. Likewise, with City’s struggles in the league, a return to the top division is becoming increasingly unlikely. Meanwhile, Stuttgart sit sixth in the Bundesliga and ninth in the Europa League. The chance to play in Europe was always going to be enticing, and the “talented” Moroccan has stepped up with three goals in the competition. With the World Cup on the horizon, a big season was always important, and carrying this form into the highly anticipated tournament will be crucial.
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