Countless talented footballers have needed some time to get up to speed with the Premier League, and Leicester City’s new signing is no different.
Luis Suarez, Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp, Didier Drogba and David Silva.
Just five modern-day Premier League icons who bounced back from a rather rough beginning to establish themselves as some of the finest talents of their generation.
Now, Bilal El Khannouss – the youngster was linked with Liverpool before joining Leicester City – may be hard pressed emulating the impact of Henry, Suarez and co on UK soil.
That goes without saying.
But while the diminutive playmaker has started only once so far in England’s top flight, there is absolutely nothing to suggest that there are any regrets about the decision The Foxes made back in August. Leicester spent £22 million to take El Khannouss away from KRC Genk.
Bilal El Khannouss agent explains Leicester City situation
“He will get more minutes. The coach [Steve Cooper] and the management are counting on him,” Karima Ben Aissa, El Khannouss’ mother and agent, tells Het Belang van Limburg.
“[The Leicester bosses] say he is doing well in training. He still has to adjust to a new competition and a new life.
“His goal is to score more and be more decisive. That was another of his weaker points at Genk. Moreover, he wants to do his best to have the team finish in the top ten of the standings at the end of the season.”
Rather lightweight, and relying more on his technical qualities rather than his physical gifts, El Khannouss was always likely to endure a bit of a bumpy beginning in a competition capable of eating up and spitting out even the most naturally gifted of midfielders.
Cooper took El Khannouss out of the fray just 56 minutes into his full Premier League debut in the recent 1-1 draw with Everton.
The former Nottingham Forest and Swansea City coach is keen to preach patience however. El Khannouss only 20 years of age, after all, and a couple of months into his long-term Leicester contract.
“He trained really well,” Cooper told reporters after that Everton clash. “He’s a player who is ours and we want him to get up to speed. When these guys come to England for the first time, they just need to experience it.
“We had a feeling this could be a good game for him between the lines, and to make passes. The game didn’t pan out that way. It wasn’t on him, that was just how the first half went.
“We just needed to freshen it up second half and get some new impetus with Facundo (Buonanotte), who did well again.
“It’s good that he’s got his first game out of the way. It’s good that he started at home. He was part of an average-at-best first-half performance. Probably the best we were in the game was the bit he was watching, but that’s not on him, that’s just how the game unfolded.”
Steve Cooper backs El Khannouss to succeed at Leicester City
El Khannouss’ involvement has been further restricted by the impact of the aforementioned Buonanotte.
The Brighton and Hove Albion loanee was sparkling in El Khannouss’ preferred role last time out, whacking in a thumping winner against AFC Bournemouth.
Cooper has also utilised Wilfried Ndidi, formerly a ball-winning number six, as a high-pressing, physical number ten, albeit with often mixed results.
El Khannouss will be hoping to get more minutes, however, during a winnable selection of fixtures.
Leicester have Southampton, Nottingham Forest and Ipswich Town to come in their next three Premier League outings, while an EFL Cup trip to Manchester United also offers Cooper the chance to shuffle his pack.
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