Leicester City’s Striker Conundrum: Recall Cannon or Pursue a New Forward?

Following an injury-plagued inaugural season, in which he featured in only 13 matches for Enzo Maresca’s team during their Championship title-winning run, Leicester City appeared prepared to divest from Tom Cannon this summer. Initially, after Leicester secured the permanent signing of the Everton academy graduate despite strong competition, both supporters and analysts believed the Foxes were initiating a succession strategy in anticipation of Jamie Vardy’s eventual exit. Indeed, Vardy and Cannon share numerous resemblances. Both players possess speed, prefer to operate behind the last defender, and exhibit strong shot conversion statistics. Nevertheless, considering the outcome of the 2023-24 season, the Foxes attempted to transfer Cannon permanently but were unsuccessful in finding a club for the 21-year-old forward. Consequently, they arranged a season-long loan agreement with Championship team Stoke City, whose management is reportedly very pleased with his contributions. Cannon has established himself as a regular starter in Narcis Pelach’s squad and has become a favourite among fans. This season, he has already netted seven goals across all competitions, matching Stoke’s leading scorer from the entirety of the previous season. A recall clause is included in his loan agreement, prompting some Leicester City supporters to advocate for his early return during the January transfer window to address the evident weaknesses in Leicester’s offensive line. The November international break appeared to be opportune for Leicester, as injured strikers Jamie Vardy and Patson Daka both resumed training during the fortnight hiatus. However, the Foxes subsequently incurred two additional absences in their attacking unit, with Abdul Fatawu and Jordan Ayew both sustaining injuries and returning prematurely from international duty. This left Steve Cooper with only one fully fit striker: Odsonne Edouard. The Crystal Palace forward’s loan spell has not yet yielded significant results, as he has not started a Premier League match and has been omitted from the matchday squad entirely in three of the nine league fixtures since his transfer was finalized. Scoring goals is crucial for winning matches, and it will be unfeasible for Steve Cooper to predominantly depend on the contributions of the 37-year-old Vardy throughout the entire current season. Nonetheless, the pertinent question is whether Cannon is adequately prepared for the Premier League, given his mere three appearances in the competition during his tenure at Everton and his recent attainment of consistent first-team starts for the first time in his professional career. While he is undoubtedly progressing, there is a prevailing sentiment that Leicester ought to seek an experienced and dependable goalscorer to alleviate some of the challenges in their bid for Premier League survival.