During the summer, new Leicester City head coach Enzo Maresca was keen to bolster his attacking department and sanctioned the loan signing of Sporting Clube de Portugal attacker Issahaku Fatawu.
The deal was completed the day before the summer window slammed shut and The Athletic reported that the Foxes would be forced to pay €17 million (£15 million) for the 19-year-old at the end of his loan spell if the club achieves promotion back to the Premier League.
Normally, teams insert either an option to buy clause in a loan contract or an obligation to buy. Leicester City’s situation falls into the latter category but the obligation will only kick in if the Championship league leaders return to the top flight.
Maresca’s men are walking away with the title at the moment, having picked up eleven wins from a possible twelve and sitting on 33 points, five clear of second-place Ipswich Town who have accumulated 28 points.
According to Portuguese outlet Record, Sporting CP are ‘rubbing their hands’ as Leicester City are cruising through opponents at the moment, meaning the £15 million obligation to buy clause is very likely to be activated at the end of the 2023/24 campaign.
The youngster scored the winner for the Foxes on Saturday in a 3-1 win away at Swansea City, bagging the team’s second goal when the game was tied at 1-1 before Kelechi Iheanacho finished off proceedings just a few minutes before the end.
Fatawu was also named in the Championship Team of the Week, powered by WhoScored, leading the line alongside Hull City star Liam Delap. Teammate Jannick Vestergaard was also in the lineup.
Fatawu has scored one goal and registered one assist this season in a whole new league. It may take some more time for him to adapt to English football but by the end of the campaign, the Ghana international may be an important part of Maresca’s squad.
Furthermore, £15 million isn’t a whole lot of money for a soon-to-be Premier League side so the board shouldn’t have any issues completing this deal in the summer should the Foxes return to the promised land.
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