Leicester City

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Leicester's return to the top flight does not come without trepidation.

Whether they are 'Premier League ready' as boss Steve Cooper has wanted remains to be seen after an unconvincing pre-season.

With a possible points deduction looming for an alleged profit and sustainability breach, they could face an even tougher challenge, depending on any punishment from the independent panel.

Not that it is negative at King Power Stadium and Oliver Skipp, who cannot play against his former club with the deal not done in time, is an excellent signing at £20m.

He is not a like-for-like replacement for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, but with him and Harry Winks the Foxes' midfield is now looking solid, especially including Wilfried Ndidi.

However, with Jamie Vardy and Patson Daka injured, they are likely to be without a recognised, traditional, centre-forward with Stephy Mavididi an option to start up front against Tottenham.

The contrast is obvious with Spurs ready to utilise new £65m striker Dominic Solanke on Monday.

Follow build-up and live text commentary

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Midfielder Oliver Skipp says he is "looking to push on" after completing his move to Leicester City.

The 23-year-old has signed from Tottenham on a five-year-deal for a fee in excess of £20m.

Skipp came through Spurs' academy and made 77 Premier League appearances for the club, including 21 last season.

He will not be able to face his former side when the Foxes begin their Premier League return later on Monday, but will be available to make his debut on Saturday when they travel to Fulham.

"I feel I'm a player who will always give 100% and have attributes that will help the team. Some of my strengths are that I read the game well, I'm intelligent and can read the game of football," Skipp told club media., external

"Also, I'll hopefully be able to bring the best out of my team-mates. I'm looking forward to showing everyone what I can do for this club.

"I had conversations with the people here, and they gave me a feeling of warmth and comfort. They were excited to have me on board and, as a player, when there's excitement from the players and the staff, that's something you can use to develop your game.

"Steve [Cooper] worked with me at England, so we both know each other. There's definitely that relationship there, but for sure, I'm looking to push on."

A new season, and a new challenge for BBC Sport's prediction expert Chris Sutton.

Sutton faced off against a guest for each of the 38 game weeks in 2023-24 and triumphed 21-10 (with seven draws) to secure his second predictions title in a row.

In the first week of the new season, his opponent is The Courteeners frontman Liam Fray.

The pair have both given their prediction for Leicester City v Tottenham Hotspur on Monday.

Sutton's prediction: 1-3

I'm hearing a lot of nonsense about Tottenham and how their manager Ange Postecoglou "needs a good start" to the new campaign. I don't understand why he is under pressure at the start of his second season.

The Spurs fans were bored and fed up every weekend under Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte, but they were entertained last season and almost made the top four too - all without Harry Kane.

Nobody can argue that Ange didn't make progress, so why is he being questioned? It feels like people are waiting for him to fail and I think that's deeply unfair.

I don't think it will bother Postecoglou, though. He will just plough through it. He has managed for a long time and has had huge success.

I'm expecting Spurs to have another good season under him, especially now they have signed Dominic Solanke, which looks like an astute bit of business.

Leicester will be well-organised under Steve Cooper, and they probably stand the best chance of staying up out of the three promoted clubs, but I think Spurs will be too strong for them.

Liam's prediction: 0-2

I like Ange a lot and I love watching James Maddison too. Maybe Solanke could bring the best out of Son Heung-min again. I see Spurs being a big threat to Manchester United for getting that fourth spot.

Read the full predictions and have your say here

On the latest episode of BBC Radio Leicester's When You're Smiling podcast, former Leicester striker Matty Fryatt spoke about his expectations for the Foxes this season.

He said: "I'll be really positive and say 17th! Anything else would be a massive achievement.

"Any of the three teams that have gone up, I think it's a big ask [to stay up] but I think Leicester would take 17th right now.

"It's going to be difficult. In terms of management and player-wise, you can't go in with the mindset that survival is enough, you've got to embrace the challenge. There are going to be some difficult games of course, but you've got to go and make it competitive in each game.

"I think it will be crucial to get off to a good start and get that togetherness in the team. At times we might have to give up style and be resolute and I think Steve Cooper is adaptable.

"The players [with Premier League experience] - Coady, Vardy, Winks, Justin, Pereira - will be crucial."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

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The latest episode of BBC Radio Leicester's When You're Smiling podcast is available now on BBC Sounds - and it is all about the Foxes' season opener against Tottenham Hotspur.

Leicester City manager Steve Cooper reveals some key injury updates and transfer news, while Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou discusses his ambitions for this season and facing former Spurs midfielder Harry Winks, and The Athletic's Jack Pitt-Brooke gives the full low-down on the London club.

Listen to the opening day preview here

Millie Sian
BBC Sport journalist

Leicester City boss Steve Cooper has been speaking to the media before Monday's Premier League game against Tottenham Hotspur (kick-off 20:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Patson Daka and Jamie Vardy are both unavailable because of injuries. Daka will be "out for a few months" after an ankle operation. Vardy is closer to returning but he will still be missing "for a little while".

• Tom Cannon will be the only available senior striker going into the season opener, but Cooper says there is "no hiding" from the "situation" at the top end of the pitch, as the club continues their search for a number nine.

• Cooper is expecting Tottenham to play in a "defined way" because "they have got some brilliant players and a really good manager", but he added: "That is going to be the case every single week in the Premier League."

• On whether the Foxes are ready to take on the Premier League again, he said: "That's the intention, for sure. This is a very hard-working and together group of players. We want to keep a lot of that going, whilst balancing the challenge of the Premier League and what might need to change or adapt. Everything has been gearing to being ready, but time will tell."

• Cooper is not worried about the Foxes already being touted for relegation and is relishing the chance to prove people wrong again: "I've had it before - that's for sure - so it's not a new thing for me. It wasn't the case last time. Let's hope that's the same this season."

• In response to how the club has handled the transfer window so far, Cooper said: "Every season you want to strengthen and change. Every club will be the same, we are no different. We are still going through that process. The club is working together and the communication lines are great. It has been a slow market, and we have maybe felt that as well, but it's not been through a lack of trying. Let's see what next week brings now, because nothing is going to happen before Monday."

• The squad has agreed and set some "internal" goals for this season which included the players "opening up about what they want to achieve and having some debate around it". Cooper said: "It is important to me that the players have a voice in these things."

• He sent a message to Foxes fans ahead of the opening game: "I feel a good optimism. I have tried to engage as much as I can and all I've really felt is positivity. There is everything to be positive of and nothing to fear, whilst respecting the difficulty because it’s the best league in the world. We are going to give it everything."

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Our football news reporter Nick Mashiter says "survival is the aim" for Leicester City and "anything more is a bonus", so we asked you to have your say.

Here are some of your comments:

Ash: Of course Premier League survival is the goal for this season. Finishing 17th would be an achievement given the horrendous circumstances my club have spiralled into over the past two or three seasons. Get through this season, then begin a rebuild.

Dan: I'd be amazed if we stay up, especially if we have a points deduction applied. Our squad is lacking depth, especially up front. But we've been written off so many times before and we do impossible things like winning the league! I think most sensible Leicester fans would bite your hand off for 17th place and build on that.

Andy: Survival would give us a great base to build from, but I think the financial regulations will ultimately completely ruin our season. Can't spend on new players and a large points deduction potentially too.

Ben: Looking at our squad and manager, I only see one thing... relegation. Any Leicester fan thinking mid-table is the aim or anyone predicting us mid-table, you clearly still think we’re the team that won the league and you don’t know how difficult the Premier League is to survive in.

Image source, Leicester City

Premier League returnees Leicester City have launched their new third kit before the 2024-25 season gets under way this weekend.

The Foxes say the design pays homage to the 'ice kings' side of the 1962-63 campaign - a squad that earned this tag through a historic 18-game unbeaten run during the coldest winter on record.

Image source, Leicester City

The latest episode of the When You're Smiling podcast has landed.

Owynn Palmer-Atkin is joined by Matty Fryatt and I'm A Celeb star Owen Warner to discuss the Foxes' pursuit of Adam Hlozek and aims for the upcoming campaign.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

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There should be some focus on the newbies in the Premier League just as much as the old guard in the top half of the table.

‌When you get promoted, you really do want to hit the ground running. Start the season on a high and you can ride that wave for a while. Lose, and that sunny hopeful optimism can turn to a dark menacing cloud of fear before August is over.

‌Both Ipswich Town and Leicester City have got home openers but that is counter-balanced by the fact that it is Liverpool and Tottenham they will face - two teams with designs on a top-four finish. Southampton have a bigger mountain to climb, when they face Newcastle United at St James' Park.

‌Last season, all three promoted teams in Burnley, Luton Town and Sheffield United were duly relegated nine months later. That was an unusual occurrence that last happened back in season 1997-98 but at least Leicester and Southampton have a decent amount of recent Premier League experience.

‌Even so, it is hard to see any of them doing anything other than battling relegation. I wish them well but expect just one will survive.

Sign up to read more from Nevin in his Football Extra newsletter here

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Of all Premier League fixtures to have been played at least 30 times, Leicester against Tottenham has the highest goals-per-game average (3.8 - 128 goals in 34 games).

There have been 28 goals scored in the past five meetings between the sides alone (5.6 per game).

Our reporter Nick Mashiter will be covering Leicester City up close this season.

Nick says: "Leicester's return to the Premier League after winning the Championship last season comes with the caveat of a possible points deduction for breaching profit and sustainability rules, and they come back up with Steve Cooper having replaced title winner Enzo Maresca after his move to Chelsea.

"This is a new era for Leicester in the Premier League and survival is the aim - anything more is a bonus."

Do you agree? Or can the Foxes aim for more?

Let us know here, external

It's that time of the year again - the annual act of foolishness in which I try to predict the outcome of the 2024-25 season for all 20 Premier League clubs.

Leicester - 19th

A welcome return to the Premier League for a club that sleepwalked into the Championship in 2023 - and it comes following a turbulent summer and the possibility of a points deduction making their task even more difficult.

The club have made a shrewd appointment in Steve Cooper, who knows this course well after keeping Nottingham Forest up, following Enzo Maresca's departure for Chelsea.

Chelsea also took last season's star player Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and there is that looming concern over charges of allegedly breaking financial regulations.

Cooper will look to the vast experience of former England duo Conor Coady and Harry Winks, while evergreen Jamie Vardy is still at King Power Stadium, although at 37 he will be handled with care. Abdul Fatawu, a real fans' favourite on loan from Sporting Lisbon, will add flair and dynamism after signing permanently.

The Foxes are trying to get Wilfried Zaha on loan from Galatasaray and have made a bid for Panathinaikos striker Fotis Ioannidis to increase firepower.

Cooper and Leicester could defy the odds but it may well be a steep uphill struggle.

Read all of Phil's predictions here

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The draw for the second round of the Carabao Cup has been made.

Here is the list of the ties - which are split into southern and northern sections - involving Premier League clubs:

South

• AFC Wimbledon v Ipswich Town

• Brighton & Hove Albion v Crawley Town

• Birmingham City v Fulham

• Cardiff City v Southampton

• Colchester United v Brentford

• Crystal Palace v Norwich City

• West Ham United v Bournemouth

North

• Everton v Doncaster Rovers

• Nottingham Forest v Newcastle United

• Leicester City v Tranmere Rovers

• Wolverhampton Wanderers v Burnley

See the full draw

The games will take place in w/c 26 August.

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport Football News Reporter

Image source, Getty Images

It is a new era for Leicester City as they return to the Premier League.

Survival is key. The Premier League title win in 2016, Champions League nights and FA Cup triumph are now just fond memories.

Ultimately, after a March wobble, they cruised to the Championship title but the top flight is a very different beast.

Boss Steve Cooper wanted his side to be "Premier League ready" but, before Monday's opener at home to Tottenham, are they?

Abdul Fatawu, Bobby Decordova-Reid, Michael Golding, Caleb Okoli and Facundo Buonanotte are the new arrivals, as the club tread lightly around profit and sustainability rules (PSR).

That was eased by Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall's £30m transfer to Chelsea, following former head coach Enzo Maresca's move to Stamford Bridge which earned the Foxes around £10m.

Harry Winks and Stephy Mavididi will be key, as will goalkeeper Mads Hermansen, but there is an inescapable feeling that Leicester need more.

Goals remain a worry - Jamie Vardy netted 18 in the Championship last term but, at 37 years old and possibly in his final season, whether he can produce enough in the Premier League is debatable.

A deal for Bayer Leverkusen forward Adam Hlozek is reportedly close, and Panathinaikos striker Fotis Ioannidis and Galatasary's Wilfried Zaha have been linked, but with Jamie Vardy and Patson Daka likely to miss Monday's game through injury, a striker is a priority.

That all comes with a backdrop of the club's outstanding PSR charge for an alleged breach of the rules, which could eventually see the Foxes hit with a points deduction, meaning staying up will remain the priority.

Image source, Getty Images

The draw for the second round of the Carabao Cup will take place on Wednesday at the conclusion of the first-round tie between Leeds United and Middlesbrough.

Thirteen Premier League clubs will enter in the second round, as will Luton Town and Burnley, who were relegated from the top flight in 18th and 19th positions last season.

The draw for round two will be regionalised into northern and southern sections.

The seven Premier League clubs playing in European competitions in 2024-25, including Carabao Cup holders Liverpool, will come in at the third-round stage.

The key dates for the competition are as follows:

• Second round - w/c 26 August

• Third round - w/c 16 and w/c 23 September

• Fourth round - w/c 28 October

• Quarter-finals - w/c 16 December

• Semi-finals - w/c 6 January (first leg) and w/c 3 February

• Final - 16 March

Follow Wednesday's action and then the full draw here from 19:30 BST

Leicester City have made a £4m offer for 32-year-old Crystal Palace and Ghana forward Jordan Ayew. (Mail), external

Want more transfer news? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

Chris Forryan
Fan writer

Where will you finish in the league and why?

17th - I have to hope that it is outside the bottom three. We are at the race but are starting in the pit lane. After promotion was gained, we face the threat of a points deduction and our manager left to join Chelsea, as did our star player. Also limited finances in the transfer window - give me 17th now and I'll bite your hand off.

Who is the best signing or has he not signed yet and who should it be?

Whilst Abdul Fatawu was a huge signing, the clause in his loan deal meant we were always going to get him. The biggest signing is yet to happen and that is the replacement for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.

What do you want from your manager this season?

I was happy with the appointment of Steve Cooper as I believe he has the experience to keep us up. If he achieves anything above that he will have exceeded most fans' expectations at this stage.

Who will be the breakout star in your squad?

We have a great youth system and I hope that Will Alves, an attacking midfielder, will make the breakthrough this season. A season-defining injury stopped this happening last season. Maybe now is the time to see if he sinks or swims, but he needs at some point to be thrown into the pool.

What is your one major concern?

PSR. I was hoping that this would all be sorted to some degree by the start of the season, but it looks like the Premier League are acting with their normal lack of speed. This would have let us know where we stand and what we have to do to survive with most of the season to achieve it.

Chris Forryan can be found at Leicester Till I Die, external

Image source, Getty Images

On the latest episode of BBC Radio Leicester's When You're Smiling podcast, Owynn Palmer-Atkin, former Foxes winger Matt Piper and actor Tom Hendryk have been talking about the club's desperate need for reinforcements in the squad.

Hendryk said: "We are lacking in the most important part of our game - we need goals and we need goalscorers."

"We need players. Players are getting played out of position right now. We need them filled.

"The starting XI against Lens was a starting XI that hadn't scored a single goal in pre-season, unless you include Caleb Okoli's own goal against Shrewsbury."

Palmer-Atkin added: "That is an issue. There are real key areas in this Leicester City side that need addressing and they are all in the attacking department.

"When you look at the squad they have so far, defensively - other than maybe a left-back - they look pretty solid.

"The initial part of the midfield - the defensive midfielders of Winks, Choudhury and Wilfried Ndidi look good - but behind that it's a real struggle through the centre of the pitch."

The Foxes begin their season at home to Tottenham on Monday.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds