Leicester fans will be delighted with Wout Faes transfer news
Wout Faes' time in England began with some promise but quickly descended into a series of setbacks that defined his first two seasons at King Power Stadium. He struggled to find consistency amid Leicester City's turbulent campaigns, barring one under Enzo Maresca.
The centre half became an unwitting part of Premier League history in December 2022, scoring two own goals in a single match against Liverpool. Though he remained a regular presence in the side, he could not help prevent the Foxes' relegation from the top flight at the end of that campaign.
Maresca's LCFC bounced back to win the Championship in 2023/24, but the defender's standing with the national team began to slip. Opportunities with Belgium became increasingly limited despite his earlier progress.
The 28-year-old spent the second half of the 2025/26 season on loan at Monaco, where he performed unsatisfactorily so the French team sent him back to Leicester. Their own slide into League One meant Faes' value at club level became a complex matter rather than a straightforward asset.
Wout Faes' rise to Leicester City and impending departure
Faes' rise to prominence had been far from guaranteed, having come through the Anderlecht academy before loan spells at failed to yield a breakthrough. This prompted a move to KV Oostende in 2018.
There he blossomed into a 'reliable' centre back, earning a switch to Reims in January 2020 where he became a standout performer in Ligue 1. Even receiving the club's Player of the Season award and making his senior Belgium debut in June 2022.
That form attracted Premier League attention, and in September 2022, the LE2 side signed him for a reported £15 million as a replacement for Wesley Fofana, giving the former the chance to establish himself at the highest level. What followed, however, was a rollercoaster of highs and lows that left the Belgian's future at the club hanging by a thread with his qualities diminishing; he is a pantomime villain on Filbert Way.
LCFC's precarious financial position means the club must sell where possible - Faes is a no-brainer as one of the few Foxes players who still holds meaningful market value and somebody untrustworthy. Reports link the CB with clubs across Europe, including Lazio, and Turkish sides Fenerbahce, Besiktas and Bursaspor.
Martin confirmed to BBC Sport's Owynn Palmer-Atkin that Faes was omitted from the squad to face Notts County in the opening League One fixture. Precisely because a move is realistic.
