Key Takeaways
- Leicester City sit five points from safety with only four Championship matches left.
- Experts and fans say poor signings, weak spirit and board silence fuel the crisis.
- If they fall into League One, income may halve and star winger Abdul Fatawu’s value could drop by up to £15 million.
Ten years after their fairy-tale Premier League crown, Leicester City are close to a second straight relegation that would dump them into League One.
The Foxes travel to Portsmouth on Saturday five points adrift of the survival line with four games left. A six-point penalty for financial rule breaches has added to the pain, yet even without the deduction the team have under-performed all year.
Former defender Tommy Smith told the Sky Sports Essential EFL podcast: “They need three wins from four – I don’t see it. Too many draws under Gary Rowett and not enough fight.”
Portsmouth, Saturday’s hosts, have taken eight points from their last four tough fixtures, underlining the scale of the task facing Leicester.
Supporter and blogger Elliot Sumner blames the slump on a vacant strike force after Jamie Vardy’s exit, a split dressing room and an absent owner. “Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha rarely speaks, while football director Jon Rudkin keeps buying poorly and over-paying,” Sumner said. “Players look like they’re here only for wages, not the badge.”
Relegation would slash income to roughly £60 million a season, half of this year’s Championship figure and barely a third of their final Premier League haul. Parachute payments will cushion the blow slightly, but that money shrinks each season and the wage bill must drop 30-40 per cent.
Ghana winger Abdul Fatawu, valued at £35 million last summer, may now fetch £10-15 million less if the club shop in the third tier. A fire-sale is expected with several stars unwilling to play League One football.