Following back-to-back fifth-placed finishes in the Premier League, Leicester City largely struggled in the 2021-22 campaign on their way to finishing eighth.
In both the 2019-20 and 2020-21 campaigns, the Foxes had looked on course for a Champions League spot for much of the season, before falling at the final hurdle on both occasions.
This time around, Brendan Rodgers' side endured a difficult campaign for various reasons, one of which being a significant amount of injuries to members of the first-team squad, and had appeared set for a finish in the bottom half of the table for the first time since 2017.
However, recording 10 points from the final four games saw Leicester finish strongly to climb back into the top half in the closing stages of the season, which coincided with the return to fitness and form of striker Jamie Vardy.
Fast forward to the present, and despite Rodgers revealing that he had hoped to oversee a significant refresh of his squad this summer, things have not gone to plan so far.
With that in mind, Sports Mole takes a closer look at Leicester's current situation and whether the club is in danger of declining following the success of recent years.
Absence of New Signings
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Despite Rodgers wishing to freshen up his Leicester squad this summer, the Foxes have failed to secure any new arrivals so far.
With no European football to look forward to in the 2022-23 campaign, the transfer budget for this summer is certainly lower than in recent seasons.
For this reason, Rodgers has been informed by the club hierarchy that players need to be moved on before new arrivals can come through the door at the King Power Stadium.
However, despite their best efforts, the club's activity in the transfer market has been all but non-existent so far.
Dennis Praet has returned to the club following the end of his loan spell with Torino last season, although the midfielder is believed to be one of several players that Leicester are open to selling, and he remains the only fresh face as things stand.
Meanwhile, the only exits so far have come in the form of Eldin Jakupovic - the third-choice goalkeeper - that has been released, and Ademola Lookman, who has returned to parent club RB Leipzig for the time being upon the end of his season-long loan in the East Midlands.
Although new signings do not guarantee success, and are not always desperately required depending on a squad's strength, fresh arrivals provide a new look and new competition within a club, whilst also providing fresh ideas and alternate tactical plans.
Take a look at Manchester City, who have won four of the last five Premier League titles on offer, and have brought in the likes of Erling Braut Haaland and Kalvin Phillips this summer despite their recent success.
Therefore, an absence of new signings at Leicester so far this summer can only be seen as a concern, particularly given the lack of training and preparation that they will have with their teammates once they do eventually arrive later in the transfer window.
Uncertain Futures within the Squad
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Whilst Rodgers was hoping to bring in new faces during the transfer window, he, and the hierarchy, were also hopeful of moving on several fringe players with uncertain futures at the club.
Hamza Choudhury, Jannik Vestergaard and the previously-mentioned Praet all fall into this category, but despite interest from elsewhere, no moves have materialised just yet.
In addition, Leicester are also believed to be open to the sales of numerous squad members who have just a year left to run on their contracts at the King Power Stadium.
Choudhury is one of a remarkable 10 players that have entered the final 12 months of their current deals, including the likes of Ayoze Perez and Caglar Soyuncu, who for this reason, Leicester are open to selling in order to generate transfer fees.
Like elsewhere this summer, there has been a lack of activity in this area within Leicester too, leaving several members of the squad with their futures up in the air.
Joining them is Youri Tielemans, who has been heavily linked with moves to the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United during the transfer window so far, after the Belgian entered the final year of his contract too.
The Foxes have been open to letting the midfielder leave for the right price, but despite significant interest from elsewhere within the Premier League, the 25-year-old remains a City player for the time being.
Rodgers has recently described Tielemans as a model professional in reference to his attitude in pre-season this summer, but there should be a great deal of concern over the harmony within the Leicester squad when it contains so many players with their minds elsewhere ahead of the new season.
Lack of European football
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Despite all the negatives surrounding the club that we have previously alluded to, there does remain hope that Leicester can avoid a decline.
Although a lack of European football for the first time in several years this season has led to a struggle in acquiring transfer targets, as well as being one of the reasons for Tielemans' apparent desire to move on, it can also be viewed as an opportunity ahead of the 2022-23 campaign.
As has been seen with many clubs in recent years, a gruelling fixture schedule can harm even the biggest of clubs across the Premier League and beyond.
Use Arsenal's 2021-22 campaign as an example, with Mikel Arteta's side enjoying plenty of rest days to regain fitness and prepare for their next opponent, which helped them make drastic leaps in their efforts to return to Champions League football - something which they only narrowly missed out on.
This is something that Leicester can certainly look forward to this season, whilst viewing it as an opportunity to fire themselves back into European contention once again.
It can easily be seen as one of the first signs of this Foxes side declining following a difficult campaign last season, but it is easy to forget that they enjoyed a successful run to the semi-finals of the inaugural Europa Conference League in the process, where they lost to eventual winners Roma.
Reasons for Hope
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Given the continued investment of the 'top six', as well as the continued success of West Ham United and the threat from Saudi-backed Newcastle United, it will certainly be difficult for Leicester to get back on the rise again, particularly due to their lack of progress in this summer's transfer market.
However, with the return to fitness of many first-team stars this summer, Leicester are heading into the 2022-23 campaign with a squad full of exceptional talent, despite there being no new arrivals so far.
Wesley Fofana, James Justin, Jonny Evans, Ricardo Pereira and Wilfred Ndidi were among those that missed large chunks of last season through injury, as well as Vardy for several brief spells.
There is a huge amount of quality within those players, which Rodgers has welcomed back to be part of a full pre-season ahead of a full-strength look for the opening game of the season against Brentford on August 7.
Those mentioned above, along with the likes of James Maddison, Timothy Castagne, Harvey Barnes and Kasper Schmeichel, contribute to a Leicester side that is capable of beating any of the top teams on their day.
Given the lack of consistency of Kelechi Iheanacho and Patson Daka in the absence of Vardy however, the Foxes do remain over-reliant on the former England international, despite him turning 36-years-old in January.
That area of the pitch, as well as the lack of a natural right-winger, do remain concerns for Leicester, but there is no doubt that there is a remarkable amount of quality within this side that can enjoy a successful season this time around.
Verdict
There are certainly signs that Leicester could fall into decline over the coming year or two, particularly given the dangers of them remaining inactive during the transfer window so far.
However, should Tielemans remain at the club this summer and perform to the levels that he can in a fully-fit squad, there is no reason that the Foxes cannot get themselves back into European football once again.
Being able to enjoy a significantly smaller fixture schedule this season will certainly play its part too, but the competition for a European place looks to be getting stronger than ever, and should they miss out again, there does remain the concern that several first-team stars could leave next summer.
For that reason, we believe that City remain in a strong position as things stand, but it is one that remains ever so delicate with so many threats to their success in the near future.
