Twelve Leicester City players who could say farewell to King Power Stadium this weekend. A few tears could be shed with several players likely to be turning out for Leicester City for the final time when the club face Blackburn on Saturday lunchtime
It could be another game to remember this Saturday when Leicester City lift the Championship trophy. But it could also be an emotional affair with a few fond farewells.
Supporters will remember in recent years when the likes of Danny Simpson, Shinji Okazaki, and Marcin Wasilewski signed off at the King Power Stadium, knowing it was their final match with the club. Tears were shed.
And there are plenty of players who could fall into that same bracket this time. Here’s a rundown of those who could be saying goodbye with their final game for the club on Saturday.
Marc Albrighton
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Scorer of iconic Champions League goals and deliverer of impeccable crosses, Marc Albrighton looks set to swing a ball into the box for the final time in a City shirt this weekend. Out of contract and having not started a league game all season, the title-winning winger is not expected to be handed a new deal this summer. He is one of the club’s all-time greats and his departure may lead to some wobbly lips this Saturday.
Kelechi Iheanacho
Iheanacho has not started a game for City since December 2 and over the past few weeks appears to have dropped down to the bottom of the club’s striker pecking order. That does not bode well for him getting a new contract. While he can be infuriating and clumsy at times, Iheanacho has delivered plenty of great moments and was the hero of the club’s FA Cup run. If this is his final game, he should leave with a generous round of applause.
Dennis Praet
It has felt like Praet has been on the verge of leaving City every summer for the past three years, but he’s never quite secured that permanent move away. Out of contract and not a regular starter under Maresca, it’s expected he will leave this summer, allowing him to finally return to Italy, where his stock remains high.
Wilfred Ndidi
Ndidi’s been Maresca’s go-to man alongside Dewsbury-Hall in attacking midfield this season, and that feels like it should lead to a new deal. But while the Nigerian has improved in his new role, he’s not yet a natural at it, and with City moving up a division, the club may feel they need to bring in someone more suited to it. It’s not out of the question that this could be Ndidi’s final game.
Jannik Vestergaard
Nobody expected this to be true a year ago but Vestergaard’s performances and his importance to Maresca’s system possibly merit him getting a new contract. The doubts will be over his speed. Can he play as well in a league where City won’t have as much of the ball and where the strikers are speedier? If the club deem the answer to be no, then this weekend could be Vestergaard’s final outing.
Yunus Akgun
On loan from Galatasaray, City must decide if they’re going to make Yunus’s move permanent. Maresca has said he likes him, but has also converted him from his initial intended position out wide into a midfielder and he’s also said the Turkish international has had difficulties adjusting to a new league. If finances are tight, it may not be a deal City look at.
