In a recent report, Le10Sport (translated by Sport Witness) has claimed that Leicester City forward Islam Slimani is gathering interest from the Ligue 1 as AS Saint-Etienne remain keen on acquiring his signature on a loan deal this winter. It is understood that the French club are not willing to give up on the Foxes striker whose current contract at the King Power Stadium runs out at the end of this campaign (via Le10Sport).
Slimani’s Growing Frustrations At The King Power Stadium
The 32-year-old has endured a frustrating season in England so far as he has struggled to earn regular game time under Brendan Rodgers’ tutelage of late. He has only made three appearances for the East Midlands club this term but is yet to open his goal-scoring account for this campaign.
The Algerian marksman had a fruitful loan spell with AS Monaco last season when he banged in nine goals and provided seven assists in 19 matches for them across all competitions. Slimani did well to average 2.9 shots, 1.8 key passes and 0.4 dribbles per 90 minutes in the 2019-20 Ligue 1 season. However, he was a bit sloppy when linking up play with others around him after completing 69.4% of his attempted passes in the French first division (stats via whoscored).
Slimani has often found himself behind Jamie Vardy and Kelechi Iheanacho in Rodgers’ pecking order this season. Therefore, he can benefit from switching clubs either on loan or permanently when the transfer window commences at the start of next year.
What Does The Algerian International Bring To The Table?
Even though Slimani has lost a yard of pace from his game, yet he can find ways to be productive in the final third. Standing at 1.88m, the 69-time Algerian international can still be a real handful for the opposition defenders as he can use his strength to outmuscle his marker and win a lot of 50-50 aerial duels for his side.
When he is firing on all cylinders, he can be a consistent goal-scorer and also possesses the vision to set-up a few goals for his teammates inside the opponent’s penalty box. However, Slimani has struggled to prove his worth in the Premier League where he has clearly not enjoyed living on the shadows of Jamie Vardy, who has been Leicester’s best forward over the past few years.
Should The Foxes Cut Slimani Loose In January?
Currently, the ex-Liga NOS centre-forward is surplus to requirements at the East Midlands club. Barring any injuries ahead of the winter transfer window, Rodgers has no reason to keep Slimani at the club as he has failed to contribute as a squad player during this campaign. It is only fair to the player if Leicester City decide to cut him loose next month.
