The latest news around Leicester City plus transfer fees, Soumaré making his Sevilla debut, impressive summer sales for Liverpool and a potential Thai player heading to OH Leuven.
Despite making a net profit of more than £50m in the summer transfer window, head onto social media and accusations of Leicester City buying the league can be found.
But what is true is that they have the most expensively-assembled squad in the division. In fact, it’s the 26th most expensive squad in world football.
Data compiled by CIES shows City’s squad cost €281m (£242m) to put together, placing them between AC Milan and Bayer Leverkusen on the list. Only one squad outside of Europe’s top five leagues cost more in transfer fees than City’s did, Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal – who now have Neymar, Ruben Neves, and Aleksandar Mitrovic in their ranks – paying €382m (£329m).
Interestingly, City are one of only three clubs in the top 50 to have spent more on their defence than any other position, along with AC Milan and Roma. City’s current set of full-backs and centre-backs cost them €106m (£91m), the 19th biggest figure, and only €9m short of the expenditure on Real Madrid’s current back-line. In other positions, City have spent €21m (£18m) on goalkeepers and then €77m (£66m) on both midfielders and forwards.
Showing the gulf between the Premier League and Championship, Southampton and Leeds are not far behind City, on €228m and €226m respectively. The next most expensive squad in the Championship belongs to Norwich, at €76m.
Boubakary Soumare didn’t get to make his debut for Sevilla before the international break after their clash with Atletico Madrid was rained off, but he has now featured for his new loan club. He helped them see out a 1-0 win over Las Palmas, playing the final five minutes of the game, as Sevilla secured their first points of the La Liga season.
However, if Soumare wants more game-time, he needs to “look for a very good translator”, according to manager Jose Luis Mendilibar. Right now, with the French midfielder unable to speak Spanish and therefore not take in the coach’s instructions, regular game-time might be an issue.
Mendilibar said after the weekend’s game: “Soumare doesn’t understand me, so he has to make an effort or look for a very good translator. For those who come with little training time, it seems that football is universal, but you have to understand what is asked of each person, and those who do not know the language have a harder time.”
While he can’t yet communicate with his manager or many of his team-mates, he will be able to speak to the opposition this week. The Champions League group stage kicks off with Sevilla taking on Lens on Wednesday, the French side recently recruiting former City midfielder Papy Mendy.
Much was made this summer about Suphanat Mueanta, the big hope of Thai football, joining City. Even chairman Aiyawatt ‘Top’ Srivaddhanaprabha discussed the matter during the club’s trip to Asia.
After training with sister side OH Leuven, he has now joined the Belgian club on loan for the season, and played his first Under-23s game over the weekend, completing 83 minutes in a 1-1 draw with Gent.
Coach Eddy Vanhemel said of Mueanta’s performance: “I have to say that, despite only being in Belgium for a few days, he has shown that he has qualities. He showed his speed, individual action and threat. A good football player, nice to be able to work with.”
There’s been a lot of change and speculation at City’s sister club over recent weeks. Their CEO Peter Willems left and the director of football Ariel Jacobs was asked about the future of manager Marc Brys after the club took just two points from their first five matches. Since then, they’ve got their first win before drawing with top-of-the-table Gent at the weekend.
It may be a case of City ruing what could have been with Trey Nyoni, who has made a fast start to life at Liverpool. The England youth international and one of the brightest prospects in the club’s academy, made the switch to Anfield over the summer.
During the international break, midfielder Nyoni scored a hat-trick in a 10-0 friendly win over Southend for Liverpool’s Under-18s, then at the weekend, he scored the opener in a 4-2 victory over Blackburn. He only turned 16 in the summer, and looks to have a very bright future ahead of him. Unfortunately, it’s not with City.