Great satisfaction at the start of last season, Islam Slimani (32) had completed his loan for AS Monaco with 9 goals and 7 assists in 18 Ligue 1 matches. Solid performances, but which were not enough in this particular context. The Principality’s club did not exercise the option to buy 10 million euros for the Algerian striker who returned to Leicester. However with the Foxes, he does not play … or almost not since he only has 19 minutes of play in a defeat against Aston Villa (1-0). A starving window of fire since he is preceded by Jamie Vardy, Harvey Barnes or Kelechi Iheanacho in the hierarchy.
Coming to the end of his contract at the end of the season, the former Sporting CP will have plenty of time to choose the project that suits him best. But if he stays a year without playing it will complicate his life in his efforts. Thus, he would rather be open to a loan this winter in order to have a little playing time. This possibility, AS Saint-Étienne wants to offer him according to the latest information from The team. In great difficulty in sporting terms with a fifteenth place in Ligue 1 two lengths from the place of barrage, the Forez club also has the worst attack of the championship. The Greens have scored only 10 goals and only Bordeaux (9) and Dijon (5) do worse.
Saint-Étienne will have to play it tight
In this particular context where Jean-Philippe Krasso struggles to win (only 3 matches played), Charles Abi (4 matches played) seems too tender and that the only Romain Hamouma is shown to be regular on the attack front (3 goals and 1 assist in 10 matches), the offensive situation of the Greens is cause for concern. Especially since the recruitment of M’Baye Niang last October fell through. The interest finds its full meaning in relation to his experience and his past performances in Ligue 1. The player could thus take advantage of this opportunity in January to relaunch. In addition, he would thus find his former coach in Leicester Claude Puel with whom he worked between October 2017 and June 2018.
The French sports daily also raises the good relations between the two clubs with the recent transfer of Wesley Fofana to England which could push Leicester to facilitate negotiations. However, it will be difficult for the Greens to meet the financial requirements of the player who is about 380,000 euros per month while the French club only has an envelope of 1.5 million euros to carry out this file. It will therefore surely be necessary to make concessions for the various parties in order to find an agreement. Nevertheless, this one if found could bring a lot to Islam Slimani and ASSE.