Leicester City may want to ditch £22 million Patson Daka in the summer – especially after a string of high-profile blunders this season
With only a handful of matches remaining in the 2023-24 regular season, Leicester City are going to need to rediscover their early season form if they are going to stumble over the line and back to the Premier League.
The Foxes are currently second in the Championship following a 1-0 loss to Plymouth Argyle on Friday, but with Leeds and Ipswich Town also stumbling recently, it’s anyones guess as to who takes the two automatic promotion spots in May.
Irrespective of what division they find themselves in next season, Leicester could spend it without striker Patson Daka, as his inconsistency and high wages could see him leave the Foxes in the summer.
Leicester signed Patson Daka in 2021 for £22 million
Expectations were high when Leicester signed Daka in the summer of 2021.
The Zambian striker joined after scoring 27 times in 28 matches for Red Bull Salzburg in the Austrian Bundesliga, and the Foxes hoped he could recreate that form at the King Power Stadium.
Then-manager Brendan Rodgers forked out £22 million for Daka in June 2021, with the club calling him “an exciting young striker”. It seemed clear that they were hoping he could replace the ageing Jamie Vardy in the side.
The five-year-deal he was given showed their belief that Daka could be a key player for the Foxes for years to come, however, things have not gone as planned for Daka, and he has not made the splash that many would have hoped at the King Power Stadium.
Despite his estimated £75,000 per week contract, Daka’s performances over the years have not perhaps reflected the money he cost and is currently costing the Foxes.
Patson Daka’s recent Leicester City performances could spell the end of his Foxes career
While Daka clearly has talent, his inconsistency may simply be too erratic for the Foxes to rely on him to bring them goals.
It is clear he has the talent to succeed – that is why he made his Zambia international debut at 16 and why Leicester forked out such a hefty fee for him just three years ago.
But his return in-front of goal has not been what they expected, and he has never come close to fully replacing Vardy in the attack.
The striker has netted only 23 goals in the past three seasons, which is much lower than Leicester officials would have expected.
Daka has managed this in 94 matches in all competitions, giving him around a goal every four matches. This includes only nine strikes in the Premier League in two seasons, which is a pitiful return for a player who cost so much money.
| Patson Daka’s league stats for Leicester – TransferMarkt | ||||
| Season | Appearances | Minutes | Goals | Assists |
| 2023/24 | 18 | 1015 | 7 | 5 |
| 2022/23 | 30 | 1179 | 4 | 4 |
| 2021/22 | 23 | 1159 | 5 | 3 |
His inconsistency is also an issue – Daka regularly goes months without scoring, scoring a flurry before going goalless again for months. He has done this throughout his Leicester career, with little signs of changing now.
Even this season, he has not been a key player for a side that for much of the campaign have looked to be Championship title-winners in waiting.
While his return of seven goals and five assists has been solid if not spectacular, it is clear that he has not been seen as a top striker for the club.
Daka has started only 15 matches for the Foxes in the league, with Enzo Maresca favouring the likes of Kelechi Iheanacho and Vardy instead for most of the season.
In addition to his performances, Daka’s wages could also be a factor.
With Leicester facing a points deduction next season due to their financial issues, getting rid of a player who is reportedly earning £75,000 per week would go a long way to making them more financially sustainable as they aim for promotion to the Premier League.
With two years left on his contract, this summer may be the last time the club can get a decent fee for the striker, and they may be tempted to cash in after three years of inconsistency.
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