Leicester City’s bid to sign Loic Remy from Chelsea FC shows that the club are serious about their Premier League title challenge.
Chelsea forward Loic Remy is reportedly close to leaving Stamford Bridge after Leicester City put in a hefty £11.5 million bid. The player has been unsettled in recent times and is heavily tipped for an exit before the transfer window shuts on Monday evening. This deal illustrates that the Foxes will be going all-out to secure an unimaginable Premier League title.
What a difference a year makes. This time last year Chelsea were cruising to league glory while Leicester were fighting a relegation battle. Now, it is the Blues who are struggling to climb up the table while the Midlands side sit clear at the top by three points
During the first part of the season, this was viewed as a fairytale that would inevitably come crashing down. However, we are just about to enter the month of February and the Foxes are still there. People are finally starting to believe.
Leicester’s success has been largely due to the attacking duo of Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez. While the rest of the squad have indeed been outstanding, these two have bagged the goals that have propelled the Foxes to the summit of English football. The issue, though, is that should one of these players succumb to injury, Claudio Ranieri’s men may well start sliding back down.
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This is where their pursuit of Loic Remy is both vital and heartening to all the believers. They have put in a near-£12 million bid for the striker and thus the deal, if agreed, will be the largest in their history. This is indicative of the ambition and belief that everyone at the King Power Stadium have in what they are doing at the moment.
This sentiment is only strengthened by their recent form. Leicester struggled over the festive period, not winning any of their three games. It was at this point that fans and pundits were expecting their campaign to unravel. However, it did not. They have won two out of their three league games since, including a victory away at Tottenham and an impressive 3-0 demolition of Stoke City.
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Remy is exactly the kind of player that they require as they march on towards the unthinkable. The Frenchman was rather frozen out by Jose Mourinho, who insisted on deploying Diego Costa through his roughest of rough patches, and has not found any better luck under Guus Hiddink. As a result, he is keen for an exit and the league leaders have come knocking.
Still under the age of 30, there is plenty of football left in Remy, he just needs the game time to spend it. Due to his role as a backup player at Stamford Bridge, some may have forgotten about how useful he can be. Remy is a proven goalscorer, with his 14 goals in 26 league appearances for Newcastle United being a highlight. If this man is afforded some trust and responsibility, he can deliver.
This move will also help alleviate the pressure on Vardy and Mahrez. The former has been simply prolific and the latter magical, but only a Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo can realistically keep this up until the end of the campaign. Remy gives Ranieri another goalscoring option and an experienced head in the dressing room. Let’s not forget, the Frenchman does indeed have a Premier League medal to his name.
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Almost everyone in the footballing world will be willing Leicester on as the campaign reaches its business end. With moves such as this, the support can now be less fantastical and more feasible.