Some Leicester stars selected in most valuable league XI are a joke
Leicester City will almost certainly carry the highest wage bill in League One history this season, even after parting ways with disruptive and wantaway players such as Harry Winks. It remains staggering to think that the former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder was reportedly earning a staggering £90,000 every single week during his time at the East Midlands club.
The King Power hierarchy looked utterly clueless throughout that entire saga, and Winks eventually departed in something approaching disgrace, though he still posted the obligatory and hollow 'thank you' message on social media before leaving. Thankfully, the obscene and bloated salaries of Patson Daka, Jannik Vestergaard and Jordan Ayew have also been stripped from the LCFC accounts this summer.
These high-profile departures represent much-needed progress, and it appears someone with genuine strategic insight may finally be pulling the strings on Filbert Way. There is widespread speculation that these encouraging early moves are the influence of new sporting director James McCarron, who seems determined to bring financial sanity to an organisation that has lacked it for half a decade.
League One's most valuable XI features eight Leicester City 'stars'
However, several more big earners must still be shown the door; ideally they'll be sold for inflated and entirely undeserving transfer fees to help balance the books. Belgium international Wout Faes, valued at an eyebrow-raising £8.5 million, is chief among those who should be moved on, yet he remains at the club while 'earning' a seven-figure annual salary.
It would also make perfect sense for the Foxes to offload others such as Oliver Skipp, rated at £3.4 million, who has failed to justify his substantial earnings. The pair have somehow been named in 'League One's most valuable XI', a selection that tells us far more about inflated market ratings than actual consistent performance.
A 4-2-3-1 formation sees Jakub Stolarczyk take his place in goal, with Leicester City providing the majority of the defensive unit.
Wout Faes and Caleb Okoli form an all-Foxes centre-back partnership, while Luke Thomas completes the Leicester trio in defence. Luton Town's Reuell Walters takes the right-back position after an impressive spell with the Hatters.Football Whispers
Jakub Stolarczyk (£1.5 million), Caleb Okoli (£7.6 million) and Luke Thomas (£4.2 million) also take their unmerited places in this startling line-up, despite showing plenty of flaws in their respective games. Louis Page (£3.4 million) lines up in midfield alongside a mediocre Skipp, while underwhelming winger Stephy Mavididi (£4.2 million) and former Ipswich Town man Conor Chaplin (£1.8 million) complete an over-represented Foxes contingent in the squad.
The midfield is once again dominated by Leicester, with Louis Page partnering former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Oliver Skipp in the centre of the pitch, with both players valued at £3.4m.
The attacking positions feature a mixture of Leicester and Luton talent, with Isaiah Jones occupying the right wing and Lasse Nordas leading the line for the Hatters.
New Leicester signing Conor Chaplin earns a place in the number 10 role, while Stephy Mavididi completes the attacking trio from the left flank.
A few of these valuations are little more than fantasy league calculations, which bear little relation to who will actually perform well. Until several of these overpaid underachievers are shifted and replaced with hungry, committed footballers, the Leicestershire side will retain very real problems.
