Leicester City have completed a club record deal to sign Islam Slimani from Sporting Lisbon for £29.7 million. The striker had been looking to move to the Premier League all summer and has finally gotten his wish by joining the champions. It takes their total transfer spend to just under £75 million, which shows the ambition is there to build on last season.
The Algerian is a powerful forward who dominates in the air and offers a significant improvement on Leonardo Ulloa. In recent seasons, he has been in superb scoring form and will relish the opportunity to show what he can do in a bigger league. There were doubts about his ability to consistently perform for a traditional power in the Premier League, but Leicester are a good club for him at this stage in his career.
Last season, Slimani was a frequent scorer and finished with 27 league goals. It has taken him some time to reach that level and he has been written off several times during his career. Despite these doubters never truly going away, he has managed to continue progressing and has now earned himself a big money move to the Premier League.
The striker needs to be applauded for his work rate and his endless determination. With these traits, he will surely fit seamlessly into the Leicester mentality as he loves proving people wrong. Leicester’s title win against all odds is similar to Slimani’s battle to the top and it feels right that the two now come together.
Unlike Ulloa, Slimani can couple physicality with goal-scoring instincts, which is why Leicester have decided to bring him in. Leicester have a good supply line, especially down the left with Christian Fuchs and Marc Albrighton. If they provide service, Slimani will score goals. The 28-year-old is an aggressive forward who is always searching for opportunities to score. He will thrive at The KP Stadium.
There will be concerns about the deal, because it is a club record and Leicester fans will be expecting more from him as a result. He has stepped up to every new challenge in his career and he is currently at his peak. After a goal-laden season in Portugal, Slimani will be full of confidence.
It was important that the club signed another striker in the window, as they were too reliant on Jamie Vardy during the first three matches. He will have off days, as he did against Hull City, and Leicester need to have other players that can hit the back of the net on a regular basis. It was hoped that Ahmed Musa was going to be this man, but he looks like he will be more of a creator than a true poacher.
This is a great signing by Leicester and it would take a brave man to back against Slimani from being a success with the Foxes.
Here is how Twitter reacted to Leicester breaking their transfer record on deadline day:
Leicester fans are happy with the transfer:
https://twitter.com/NoneTheWeiser/status/770972218394288129
Fans from other clubs think it is a good signing:
The move could make Leicester even more popular in Algeria:
https://twitter.com/badinko/status/771018609120411649
https://twitter.com/CouscousBint/status/770997512668930048
Although some have questioned Leicester’s decision to buy another forward:
https://twitter.com/GungaChief/status/770373941726703616
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