Leicester City

"You do need to trim that squad down and the emergence of the youngsters who are knocking on the door, you don't want to block their pathway up by having seniors in there."

Former Leicester City goalkeeping coach Mike Stowell joins Owynn Palmer-Atkin to discuss how the squad is shaping up ahead of the Championship season, the Foxes latest signing Asmir Begović, and look ahead to the final pre-season friendly against esteemed Serie A opposition Fiorentina.

Listen to the full episode of When You're Smiling and more on BBC Sounds.

Leicester City are being linked with a move for striker Josh Brownhill after he announced his departure from Burnley. (FourFourTwo), external

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Thursday's gossip column here.

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Leicester City's trip to Austria has no doubt been a success for Marti Cifuentes.

However, the final day of the camp will have left the new Foxes boss with some questions he needs to find the answer to.

The defeat by FC Koln in Graz highlighted the fact that the Foxes are not yet fully symbiotic with the Catalan's style. They struggled to adapt to a different tactical idea from the German side - and it proved to be their downfall as they fell to a 3-1 defeat.

That was a sentiment echoed by both Cifuentes and goalscorer Kasey McAteer, who admitted more work on the training pitch is needed to fully implement the new philosophy.

However, the general mood around the camp has been lifted entirely following last season's relegation from the Premier League. Cifuentes has instilled a confidence and has been fierce in his methods of doing so.

He will not settle for anything less than best - from his players or himself.

The Foxes, now back on home soil, have plenty of work to do to get them ready for the beginning of the new Championship season.

Leicester City defenders Caleb Okoli and Ben Nelson feature on the latest edition of BBC Radio Leicester's When You're Smiling podcast.

The pair sit down to talk to Owynn Palmer-Atkin at Leicester's pre-season training camp in the town of Stegersbach in Austria.

Okoli, 24, is in his second season with the Foxes after moving to the King Power Stadium from Italian club Atalanta in the summer of 2024, while 21-year-old Nelson is back with Leicester ahead of their return to the Championship after spending last season out on loan at Oxford United.

Both player have outlined their desire to help get the 2015-16 Premier League title winners back to the top flight after promotion from the Championship in 2024 was immediately followed by relegation.

"Everybody knows we need to bounce back and that is our main target," Okoli told BBC Radio Leicester.

"Everyone knows that Leicester City belongs to the Premier League for the history of the club and everthhing they have achieved."

Image source, Getty Images

Tucked away in a secluded part of the Austrian countryside, a couple of hours from Vienna, is Stegersbach. It's where Leicester City have based themselves for an important period of their pre-season preparations.

It's hot and humid. The sort of days where you'd rather be relaxing by a pool, but a passionate Marti Cifuentes is making his players work. Hard.

There is though, a positive feeling around the camp, a flavour of optimism not seen since the last time they found themselves in England's second tier.

You get the sense that the players are buying into his ideas too. Today we spoke to Caleb Okoli and Ben Nelson for the When You're Smiling podcast, and both praised their new managers enthusiasm and tactical philosophy.

They are two players desperate to find themselves in the starting line-up and helping lead this club back to the Premier League. This club belongs there, according to Okoli.

Tomorrow though, they leave Austria. But only once they've completed their final checkpoint, of two fixtures back-to-back in two different arenas en route back to Vienna.

That could prove a real indication as to where the Foxes are in the Cifuentes-Masterplan.

Leicester City manager Marti Cifuentes tells BBC Radio Leicester that he is 'grateful' for the support he has received since being named Foxes boss.

The Spaniard has spent much of his first week at the helm of the East Midlands club getting to know his players on their pre-season trip to Austria.

He says he is "looking forward" to the challenge of trying to get Leicester out of the Championship for the second time in three seasons after they were relegated from the Premier League under Ruud van Nistelrooy.

"I know how tough sometimes it can be after relegation, but I want to bring them this love of the game that they enjoy," he said.

Leicester City's Danish keeper Mads Hermansen, 25, is a target for West Ham, with the Foxes looking at veteran Asmir Begovic - the 38-year-old Bosnian is a free agent after leaving Everton. (Ben Jacobs, external)

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Monday's gossip column here.

"It would have been nice to get Cifuentes here [earlier] but am I worried? Not really."

Former Leicester City defender Michael Morrison joins Adam Whitty and Tom Hoegger as they discuss whether the Foxes are trailing their promotion rivals before the season has even begun.

Listen to the full episode of When You're Smiling and more on BBC Sounds.

Image source, Getty Images

We asked you what you thought of Marti Cifuentes' appointment as the new manager of Leicester City, as well as the timing of his arrival and what you expect to see from the Spaniard at the King Power Stadium as the Foxes aim to make an immediate return to the Premier League.

Here is what you had to say:

Jonathan: Even Harry Potter would struggle to get things sorted at the KP in the time left before the season starts! All catastrophically slow this summer. Who's staying? Who's coming in? Who's the best player in each position? What's our best starting eleven? And many more questions to be asked and answered. Is anyone at the top (pardon the pun) going to take responsibility for the glacial pace of change this summer?

Steve: After the worst performing season in my club's history, mismanagement and indecision from the board, and no explanation why it's taken so long, I'm expecting nothing from Cifuentes. Little success as a manager, working now for peanuts, and zero evidence of past loyalty. He'll be gone before the end of 2025. Hope he's got a magic wand!

Martyn: Most Foxes fans seem to be moaning about it. I'm actually quite optimistic. He did well at QPR under difficult circumstances, trying to play attractive football. A year to rebuild and I think he could do well for us.

Steve: The last time we belatedly appointed a new manager was Claudio Ranieri... we all know what happened then.

Simon: I'm actually fairly optimistic about this appointment. He offers the flexibility to deal with any of the situations we might face - from promotion races to points deductions and relegation fights! My only gripe, like for many fans, is why it took so long and why no change at the top of the club.

Ross: Cifuentes got Leicester promoted without being our manager back in 2024 when QPR beat Leeds to secure Leicester's promotion, and now he will do the same again but this time as our gaffer. That's not a prediction, that's a spoiler.

Maddie: I would say that he looks a good manger, but also I want him to bring some new players into the team to strengthen at the back.

Kevin: Time for a dose of realism for us City fans, the club's in a mess. A few seasons back the job attracted the best, now it's become a bit of a poisoned chalice, financial and points deduction uncertainty etc. At least he wants the job, need to get behind him and hope for a good start.

John: One word. Uninspiring.

David: The last time City appointed an ex-QPR manager, we ended up in League One. History does have a habit of repeating itself!

Lindsay: Promotion, no. Stability, yes. He needs to turn this team around and prepare them for a challenging season ahead. Bring through the youth and give them the game time, and build the confidence and experience to maintain their position in the Championship at a high level. Then push for promotion in future seasons.

Tim: I'm OK with this. I wasn't excited about the other names floating around and he does like to play attacking football and has some experience in the Championship. May as well get behind him. Why not?

Carl: A fan since 1969 through thick and thin but no longer. Lack of communication and respect with fans. This is not Leicester City as I remember it. Get the owners out. My respect for them has gone!

James: Let's not get carried away. Let him have a chance before everyone shoots him down. Hopefully, he'll get the basics right, keep us up and build from there. Anyone thinking we're bouncing straight back up needs to wake up. Let's take whatever points deduction comes our way, use our youth and build again. Stay up, that is the goal.

Lyn: I'm just so glad we didn't appoint Chris Wilder. The club now needs to back the manager with some funds to buy key players. I'd be happy with a season of consolidation - let's not put too much pressure on the team!

Leicester City have unveiled former Queens Park Rangers boss Marti Cifuentes as their next boss - but has the appointment come too late?

Has the timing of his arrival got you feeling nervous for the new season, Foxes fans?

Is Cifuentes the man you wanted when former boss Ruud van Nistelrooy departed?

What do you expect from the Spaniard as you look to return to the top flight?

Let us know your thoughts here.

Jack Rafferty
BBC Radio Leicester reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Nearly three months after relegation was confirmed and three weeks since Ruud van Nistelrooy eventually left the club, Leicester City finally have their man.

Marti Cifuentes arrives at King Power Stadium with plenty of work to do and not too long to get it done.

In terms of the football, I'm told we can expect something similar to the style implemented by Enzo Maresca during his time at the club, with possession a key focus.

That may have frustrated some of the Foxes fans, but we know it's a way of playing admired by the players who were part of the 2023-24 Championship winning team.

But with the squad off to Austria this week and the start of the new season less than four weeks away, time is already against Cifuentes to get his ideas across and his players ready. He also needs to target new recruits with not much money to play with.

The fans would have wanted this appointment confirmed much, much earlier. But hopefully now it's finally done, it's one they can get behind.

"It's going on and on and on, just get it done!"

Jack Rafferty is joined by former Foxes striker Steve Howard to discuss Leicester City's pre-season as they await the appointment of new manager.

It's looking likely their new boss could be former Queens Park Rangers head coach Marti Cifuentes but, for now, the wait continues.

As to why the appointment is taking so long, Howard believes it's because the Foxes initial plans didn't pan out as they'd hoped.

"I think they had a target in mind and they couldn't get him," Howard told the When You're Smiling podcast.

"I think they went down the list and obviously Cifuentes is there. I quite like him as a manager.

"I just hope for all the fans and all the team and all the club as whole that he's there for when they go to the pre-season training camp in Austria."

Listen to the full episode and more on BBC Sounds.

All 20 clubs earn a share of Premier League prize money. The amount each club receives depends on their league position and number of televised matches.

Prize money consists of UK and international merit broadcast payments, equal shares, commercial revenues and facility fees.

All clubs received a central commercial payment of £7.9m and equal shares from UK (£29.8m) and international (£59.2m) revenues.

Clubs are also paid a facility fee for matches broadcast on domestic TV. Liverpool had 30 of their 38 league matches televised - more than any other club.

1st: Liverpool - £174.9m

2nd: Arsenal - £171.5m

3rd: Manchester City - £165.5m

4th: Chelsea - £163.7m

5th: Newcastle United - £160.2m

6th: Aston Villa - £159.3m

7th: Nottingham Forest - £152.5m

8th: Brighton - £145.1m

9th: Bournemouth - £143.4m

10th: Brentford - £138.9m

11th: Fulham - £135.5m

12th: Crystal Palace - £136.1m

13th: Everton - £131.8m

14th: West Ham - £130.9m

15th: Manchester United - £136.2m

16th: Wolves - £123.1m

17th: Tottenham - £127.8m

18th: Leicester - £116.9m

19th: Ipswich Town - £111.1m

20th: Southampton - £109.2m

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Leicester's Morocco midfielder Bilal El Khannouss, 21, is wanted by Sunderland, though West Ham and Monaco are also keen on the former Genk playmaker. (L'Equipe - in French, external)

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Monday's gossip column here.

"In terms of Cifuentes' record with QPR, he did well keeping them in the division for two seasons but it'll be a different task. Leicester are further along than QPR.

"You can only get behind the appointment but to be honest, it needed to come earlier."

With former Queens Park Rangers boss Marti Cifuentes looking like he could be the man to take over at King Power Stadium, the When You're Smiling team discuss what his appointment could mean for Leicester City.

One impact of hiring Cifuentes could be a change of style that would see the Foxes return to the more aggressive approach that led to them winning the Championship title under Enzo Maresca in 2024.

"Do you want to be pragmatic or do you want to take the bull by the horns and go that Maresca style where you are dominating possession, pressing aggressively," said former Foxes striker Matty Fryatt.

"They've probably looked at it and thought we want to go back to that, based on the two previous appointments.

"They've got a core of Maresca-type players as well that are used to playing that style and then you add that freshness and spark amongst it, it can only be positive."

Listen to the full episode and more on BBC Sounds.

Leicester City have made a verbal agreement with former Queens Park Rangers boss Marti Cifuentes to become their new head coach, with the 43-year-old Spaniard reportedly contributing to his own compensation package with the Hoops. (TalkSport), external

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Thursday's gossip column here.