In a recent interview with Le Progres, Olympique Lyonnais sporting director Juninho has provided an update on Leicester City striker Islam Slimani’s future. Juninho said (translated by Sport Witness),
“It is not easy to find a striker who agrees to come and play for 6 months. At the start of the season, I spoke with Slimani and we reached an agreement. He wants to come to us but there is nothing done yet.”
Slimani’s Growing Frustrations At Leicester This Season
Slimani has failed to earn regular first-team minutes at the East Midlands club this season. He has made just one appearance for the Foxes this term when he came on as a substitute against Aston Villa back in October last year.
The Algerian international enjoyed a fruitful loan spell with AS Monaco in the previous campaign when he participated in 19 matches, registering nine goals and seven assists across multiple competitions. He performed well to average 2.9 shots, 1.8 key passes and 0.4 dribbles per game in the 2019-20 Ligue 1 season. However, Slimani was sloppy when interchanging possession with his teammates in the opposition half after completing 69.4% of his attempted passes in the French first division (stats via whoscored).
The 32-year-old has often found himself behind Jamie Vardy and Kelechi Iheanacho at the King Power Stadium pecking order, so he will benefit from sealing a move to Lyon before the transfer window slams shut at the start of next month.
What Are The Algerian Marksman’s Best Attributes?
The 69-time Algeria international has got the strength to outmuscle his marker and win a lot of 50-50 aerial duels for his side in the final third. Standing at 1.88m, Slimani can be a powerful presence inside the opponent’s penalty area and is a proven goal-scorer when he is playing with confidence on the field. However, those days have been few and far between for him over the past 18 months, which is why it makes sense for him to seek a move away from Leicester in January.
Why The Foxes Need To Ship Slimani Out This Month
Currently, the Algerian is surplus to requirements at Leicester, so both the player and the club can benefit from parting ways with each other as soon as possible in search of more success in the years to come.
With the East Midlands outfit out of the EFL Cup and Slimani not getting a start in the 4-0 win over Stoke City in the FA Cup, all signs point towards his inevitable exit from the King Power Stadium before the end of this month.
