Throughout Leicester City’s recent success, wingers have become a real focal point of many sides. Whether it was the silkiness of Riyad Mahrez or the clinical finishing from Barnes, wide men have always been important. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that the club has also splashed the cash in this position. Here are the five most expensive Leicester City wingers ever.
Five Most Expensive Leicester City Wingers Ever
1. Ayoze Perez – £30 Million
Upon his £30m arrival in the East Midlands, Perez played more as a striker, especially as he appeared just 31 times off the right for Newcastle United. However, for the Foxes, he played a prominent role as a winger, with almost 50 of his 114 appearances coming in that position.
In his four years in royal blue, Perez wasn’t always the first choice and could be seen as inconsistent. For example, his hat-trick in a 9-0 thumping against Southampton showed the quality, but there were also many poor patches. The Spaniard ended his City career during the disastrous 2022/23 season, with a loan move to Real Betis, which was eventually made complete that summer.
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He ended with just 15 goals and 12 assists, but has since become unstoppable in La Liga. In his two full campaigns for Betis and Villarreal, he has tallied a staggering 33 goals and six assists. Last season’s numbers left him fifth in the race for the Golden Boot, ahead of both Raphinha and Julian Alvarez.
2. Ahmed Musa – £16m
Following their tremendous title victory, City looked to strengthen their squad for a memorable run in Europe. As a result, Ahmed Musa made his move to the East Midlands for a club record of around £16 million. The then 23-year-old joined from CSKA Moscow after a title-winning campaign, where he tallied 24 goal contributions.
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However, in England, this style didn’t translate well. The Nigerian international managed just 753 league minutes and four goals. As a result, he returned to Russia on loan until January 2018, before permanently leaving for Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr. Despite Musa not having a major impact for the Foxes, his eventual departure showed some significance. This is because the deal displayed severe repercussions for Al Nassr, as they subsequently faced a ban on signing players due to Musa’s £390,000 fee.
3. Abdul Fatawu – £14 Million
In the summer of 2023, the Foxes had just faced relegation, and as a result, lost many major players. The likes of James Maddison, Harvey Barnes, and Ayoze Perez all departed, which freed up space elsewhere. With the new manager, Enzo Maresca, favouring inverted wingers, who could cut inside and be effective, Abdul Fatawu joined on loan from Sporting Lisbon.
Despite being just 19 years old, the Ghanaian international flourished in his first season. He tallied seven goals and 13 assists, whilst also becoming a fan favourite. Major moments that year included a hat-trick at home to Southampton to put the club a win away from promotion, and a stunning free-kick shot in extra time to send Maresca’s side into the FA Cup quarter-final. Terrific performances saw the East Midlands outfit trigger the buy clause ahead of a season in the top flight.
Under Steve Cooper, this run of form came to an end as Fatawu didn’t fit his system, where one winger would hold width, and the other plays inside. Alongside this issue, the electric winger also faced a severe knee injury, which left him sidelined from November onwards. With pre-season now underway, Fatawu has already featured under Cifuentes and seems hungry to help the club return to the Premier League.
4. Rachid Ghezzal
Under Claude Puel, City finished ninth during the 2017/18 season. Consequently, Mahrez departed due to his vast ambition and failure to move prior. The £60m fee from Manchester City ultimately led to the arrival of Rachid Ghezzal for a £10m fee. That same transfer window also saw James Maddison, Ricardo Pereira and Jonny Evans all arrive at the King Power Stadium.
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The Algerian international joined from Monaco, despite scoring just twice the season prior. He knew Puel from his time at Lyon, but struggled to make an impact throughout his time in royal blue. Only eight starts came, with one league goal in a 2-1 loss to title challengers Liverpool. It was an average first season, which also included just two appearances under new manager Brendan Rodgers. As he was out of favour, a loan spell at Fiorentina then followed before a permanent move away to Besiktas.
5. Jordan Ayew
As part of Cooper’s plan to bring Premier League experience in to help the Foxes fight off relegation, Jordan Ayew joined from Crystal Palace. The 33-year-old, alongside the likes of Bobby Decordova Reid and Oliver Skipp, made up a dismal summer of arrivals, which proved to be a factor in the 18th-place finish.
Although it wasn’t the most exciting transfer, Ayew did still manage to provide some important moments. Examples include his late winner in a 3-2 comeback against Southampton or opening the scoring at Anfield. Whilst these goals were significant, overall they weren’t enough and they emphasise the poor recruitment during the summer of 2024. Now in the Championship, Ayew will be looking to make his mark, especially after scoring twice during pre-season.
