Leicester City have received a significant advantage in their effort to keep Abdul Fatawu’s services, as Sunderland are unlikely to pursue a deal for the winger.
The Foxes and Black Cats exchanged positions in the Premier League and EFL at the end of last season, with Marti Cifuentes stepping into the role at the King Power Stadium in place of Ruud Van Nistelrooy.
Not surprisingly, during the Spaniard’s initial transfer window and pre-season leading the East Midlands side, much of the transfer talk has focused on sales and possible departures, with Leicester already losing the contributions of Jamie Vardy, Mads Hermansen, Wilfred Ndidi, and Conor Coady among others.
While the club’s financial state and potential penalties remain uncertain, Cifuentes will aim to hold onto as many top performers as possible, with Fatawu certainly fitting that category after shining in Leicester’s Championship title-winning campaign of two seasons ago under Enzo Maresca.
Interest persists in the 21-year-old, but he will not be joining the top-flight newcomers at this point.
Leicester City handed boost in goals of retaining Abdul Fatawu as Sunderland avoids eight-figure transfer deal:
It was reported by talkSPORT on Monday afternoon that the North East team had followed up their impressive return to the Premier League against West Ham United with an initial offer for Fatawu’s services, believed to have been around £28m.
This came after an update from Alan Myers of Sky Sports before the top-flight’s opening weekend that the Ghanaian had emerged as a potential target for Everton, who are undertaking a major squad overhaul under David Moyes during their first season at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
It has since been stated by Sky Sports that Fatawu remains firmly on the Toffees’ radar, and they, like the forward’s current club, have received a significant advantage on Wednesday afternoon, with Football Insider reporting that Sunderland have decided to temporarily halt their pursuit.
The report suggests that a move had been considered by Regis Le Bris’ side, but they have since reversed course after being deterred by the Foxes’ valuation of £30m.
Instead of paying the aforementioned amount for the player who appeared just 11 times in the Premier League last season after a £14m deal to make his move to the East Midlands permanent, Sunderland have shifted their attention to RB Salzburg forward Adam Daghim, which will be a considerable relief to Cifuentes and Foxes fans.
Abdul Fatawu retention would be a major transfer window achievement for Leicester City:
In Leicester’s current circumstances, few signings have been made, which naturally has left many supporters worried after a somewhat unconvincing start to the season, narrowly overcoming a struggling Sheffield Wednesday outfit before losing to Huddersfield Town in the EFL Cup and last Saturday away to Preston North End.
Fatawu has, like several of his attacking teammates, been underperforming in the opening two matches he has played, but once Cifuentes’ tactics are fully embedded within his squad, keeping his services could be one of the best outcomes of the summer from a Foxes perspective.
He recorded six goals and 13 assists just two seasons ago, demonstrating that he has the full ability to dominate the division when at his peak, which is a daunting prospect for opposing defenders, yet an exciting one for Cifuentes and City supporters, and it will undoubtedly be a key reason his valuation currently stands at £30m.