The latest Leicester City news from LeicestershireLive as eyes turn to Friday night’s Championship clash against Leeds United at the King Power Stadium.
Leicester City’s record-breaking start to the Championship campaign means they can afford to drop points in more than half of their remaining fixtures and still reach the average required for promotion.
City are one of only two sides in the history of the second tier to win 13 of their opening 14 games, matching Bristol City in 1905-06. It puts them well on course for an immediate return to the Premier League.
The battle for promotion is coming into sharper view this week with City hosting fellow hopefuls Leeds on Friday night. Daniel Farke’s side currently sit in third, 14 points off the pace City are setting.
FA’s Choudhury decision
Leicester City midfielder Hamza Choudhury will avoid punishment for his pro-Palestine social media post but the Football Association have said they will seek police guidance should any player repeat the ‘from the river to the sea’ slogan.
Choudhury has avoided a charge for posting the phrase on Monday morning. While seen by some as a cry for Palestinian freedom, it also has links to nationalism and could be seen as a call for Israel to be wiped out.
On Monday evening, Choudhury apologised for the offence he had caused and clarified that he only wanted to “show compassion for the innocent people who are suffering” with the conflict in the region leading to thousands of civilian deaths, particularly in Gaza.
Leeds United plan
Leeds United manager Daniel Farke was full of praise for Leicester City ’s start to the season and said the way the club is run is part of the success.
City take on Leeds at the King Power Stadium on Friday night. Enzo Maresca ’s side have had a breath-taking start to the season , winning 13 of their 14 league games under the new manager, leaving them at the top of the Championship table.
Leeds are in third place, but 14 points separate the two sides going into Friday night’s encounter. That’s just two less than the gap between Leeds and the bottom three teams.
Full story here .
£31m transfer decision
Leicester City have bolstered their finances by bringing in £31.3m owed to them through the sales of Harvey Barnes and Timothy Castagne.
The pair were sold to Newcastle and Fulham this summer with the deals including staggered payments. Rather than wait for the fees to be paid over the next two summers, City have opted to take the money up front from Macquarie, with the two Premier League sides to pay their fees to the Australian bank in August 2024 and August 2025.
This has become a standard practice for City. They took the same path for Riyad Mahrez and Wesley Fofana’s transfers in summers gone by, and did the same for James Maddison’s move to Tottenham earlier this year, when they brought in £26m.
