According to L’Equipe, as cited by Leicester Mercury, AS Monaco are in pole position to sign Islam Slimani permanently in the upcoming January transfer window. It is believed that they have already agreed personal terms with the forward, who is currently on loan from Leicester City. Slimani could reportedly cost Monaco a fee of €10 million.
Slimani’s struggles in England
Slimani initially joined Leicester City back in 2016, in a €30.5 million move from Sporting CP. He was one of the top forwards in Portugal, having netted 57 goals in 111 competitive appearances with his previous club. He was even coming on the back of scoring 27 league goals in Liga NOS the season before he made the move to Leicester.
But, the Algerian failed to replicate those performances in the Premier League. He found the back of the net only seven times in his debut campaign in England and got entirely overshadowed by Jamie Vardy. As a result, the 31-year-old mustered only 239 minutes of league football during the first half of the 2017/18 campaign before moving to Newcastle United on loan in January 2018.
However, Slimani’s struggles continued at the Tyneside as a thigh injury restricted his overall gametime to just four Premier League matches. He then also endured another disappointing spell on loan at Fenerbahce, where he scored one goal in 15 league games.
A resurgence at Monaco
Slimani moved to Monaco on loan in the summer in an attempt to resurrect his career. And that he did, having already netted five goals in just seven matches. Not only that, but the forward has also registered seven assists, which is quite impressive for a number nine.
Slimani’s contributions in front of goal have greatly helped Monaco in their bid to recover under Leonardo Jardim, especially after a horrifying campaign last season. He has, in fact, been involved in 63% of the club’s goals in the Ligue 1 so far, which is quite a productive statistic for any striker.
Could Slimani be a valued member of the current Leicester side?
Despite his promising performances in France, it’s unlikely Slimani would become a key component of the current Leicester City attack, though it is still led by the ageing Jamie Vardy. The Foxes will be looking for someone who can replace Vardy in the long run but can also add quality to the side.
Slimani, in that regard, does not exactly fit the bill. Besides, the Algerian’s struggles in England poses question marks over his capability of performing in the Premier League. Hence, shipping him to Monaco on a permanent basis is indeed a wise choice by Leicester City.
