Leicester City have surpassed £50m in sales following the departure of full-back James Justin to Leeds United.
The fifth significant sale of the transfer window for City, Justin returns to the Premier League in a deal that could reach £10m.
With Kasey McAteer, Mads Hermansen, Wilfred Ndidi, and Conor Coady already transferred, City have generated £50m in funds this summer, easing worries about financial regulations after their drop into the Championship, where TV revenue drops sharply.
They’ve also trimmed an oversized squad for manager Marti Cifuentes, who has been eager to reduce the number of senior players to a more manageable team.
Justin departs after six years and 169 appearances for the club, and was the third-longest-serving player in the senior lineup, behind Hamza Choudhury and Ricardo Pereira.
The 27-year-old’s extended tenure saw him appointed captain for City’s first two Championship matches this season, with a dead leg preventing him from a farewell appearance at Charlton on Saturday.
With Ricardo, Choudhury, Luke Thomas, Victor Kristiansen, and Bade Aluko available, City are well-equipped at full-back, and Cifuentes won’t feel that he lacks choices.
Arriving at City as a 21-year-old who’d gained recognition rising through the ranks at Luton in League Two and League One, Justin progressed rapidly in his second season at the club, his dynamic form establishing him as one of the most energetic full-backs in the Premier League and placing him in England contention.
But he suffered a harsh ACL tear at the peak of his performance, and then was struck by an Achilles injury shortly after his recovery.
He played a minor role in the second half of City’s initial relegation, but returned to become a vital player under Enzo Maresca in the club’s promotion.
Last season, he faced heavy criticism early in the campaign with City conceding numerous goals down his side, but was one of the team’s more consistently solid performers in the latter half of the season, despite a series of poor results.