Leicester City notebook: Promising duo sign deals with striker dilemma to impact squad planning

Promising Leicester City talents Wanya Marcal-Madivadua and Tawanda Maswanhise have signed contract extensions with the club – and will now look to make an impact with the first team.

The duo were two of City Under-21s’ leading performers last season, their qualities showing in spite of Ben Petty’s youngsters being relegated from Premier League 2’s top flight. Maswanhise, who operates out wide or up front, bagged eight goals to finish as top scorer, while Marcal-Madivadua, who plays in attacking midfield or on the wing, impressed enough to make the senior squad bench on five occasions under Brendan Rodgers and Dean Smith.

The two 20-year-olds will now look to make the step up and have an impact in the Championship in the new season. They should get opportunities in pre-season friendlies, having both featured in summer matches before.

The Premier League’s official retained list also showed that goalkeeper Arlo Doherty, who made three appearances for the Under-21s in the season just gone, has also signed a new deal. Midfielder Zach Booth and left-back Jahmari Lindsay have received contract offers.

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Released duo find new clubs

The retained list last week also showed 11 young players were leaving City, and two of those have already picked up new clubs. Ronny Nelson will join Colchester United, while Dillon Addai heads to Championship rivals Millwall.

Centre-back Nelson had arrived at City from Gillingham’s academy in the summer of 2021, but after limited game-time this season, he now leaves. He played 16 matches for the development squad in total. Goalkeeper Addai makes the switch to Millwall, having trialled there recently. He played 17 games for City’s Under-18s this season.

Afcon could cause City striker issue

City will lose a trio of players for a month next year if they remain at the club this summer. Over the weekend, Kelechi Iheanacho and Wilfred Ndidi helped Nigeria book their place at next January’s Africa Cup of Nations, while Patson Daka helped Zambia get there too.

For Nigeria, Iheanacho scored a last-minute winner off the bench, tapping the ball across the line for a 3-2 win over Sierra Leone. Daka also found the net, scrambling home in an impressive 3-0 victory over Ivory Coast.

While there is no guarantee City keep all three players, especially with Ndidi and Iheanacho entering the final years of their contracts, it would be a blow to lose them for a month in January should they still be at the King Power Stadium. Losing both Iheanacho and Daka in particular could cause issues up front, and may affect squad planning over the summer, with City needing to make sure they don’t leave themselves short up top.

City keep EFL Trophy place

Even though City are falling into the Championship, their Under-21s will still take part in the EFL Trophy this season. It is the first time in three that a Championship club has been involved.

The competition changed its format in 2016 to include 16 Category One academies. With five Premier League clubs not involved (Brentford, Bournemouth, Burnley, Luton, and Sheffield United), City have been invited to compete.

They have been in the competition every year since the format change, reaching the quarter-finals in 2019-20. However, in the past two years, they haven’t made it out of the group stages.

Would you like to see Marcal-Madivadua and Maswanhise in the squad next season? Let us know in the comments section below.

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