The Enzo Maresca era at Leicester City has begun in impeccable fashion.
The Foxes have dispatched Coventry City and Burton Albion in both the Championship and the Carabao Cup, managing four goals, over 30 shots, and averaging over 60% possession in both affairs, as per Sofascore.
Nevertheless, the coach is still on the hunt for attacking reinforcements and Jesurun Rak-Sakyi has been named as a possible target.
What’s the latest on Jesurun Rak-Sakyi to Leicester City?
According to Alan Nixon (via his Patreon site), the 2016 Premier League Champions, alongside Ipswich Town, Birmingham City, and Hull City are in a hotly-contested race to sign the Crystal Palace starlet.
Roy Hodgson is open to letting Rak-Sakyi depart Selhurst Park on loan, and he could be a formidable Championship asset.
Would Jesurun Rak-Sakyi be a good signing for Leicester City?
The 5 foot 9 livewire has been in the Eagles academy since 2019 and has been a flawless performer for the youth sides. In 54 appearances for the U18 and U21 outfits, Rak-Sakyi has registered 43 goal contributions and was subsequently sent out on loan to Charlton Athletic last term.
In League One, the winger tremendously excelled, with 15 goals and eight assists in 40 starts, ranking the best in the squad for each metric. He also averaged the third-most key passes (1.3) and most dribbles per game (1.9) in what was a clinic of dynamic, direct wide play to flaunt his mesmerizing exuberance.
The 20-year-old’s burning quality and potential were recognised by former manager Ben Garner, who said:
“His standout attribute is his wonderful balance and ability to change direction. He can beat people with his body movement. He can go both ways, finish off both feet, but he’s also got his eyes up and has vision.”
Current Charlton boss Dean Holden was also full of praise for the attacker, adding:
“He’s a fantastic young player; first and foremost a lad who loves to play football, lives for it, not what you may expect from some modern young players. He loves the idea of playing the game.
“You can never get him off the training pitch, he loves to keep improving. He’s very humble, calm and composed and comfortable in his skin.
“He’s quite down to earth, lives the right way, very professional and diligent. For all those reasons, that’s why he has a real chance of going to the top level.”
Furthermore, he is a particularly popular option due to his attacking versatility, having featured 47 times on the right and 38 times on the left, as per Transfermarkt. This interchangeability would him extremely useful for Maresca, who could use him to rival Kasey McAteer in the starting XI.
The Englishman started on the right wing in the Championship opener, but unlike Rak-Sakyi, doesn’t have a scintillating loan spell to build his reputation off. However, much like his peer, he is also a highly adaptable offensive option, having appeared across the frontline behind the striker in spells for the youth set-up.
This was highlighted by Wimbledon coach Johnnie Jackson, who awarded McAteer 18 League Two appearances in a loan spell earlier in the year:
“His ability is there for all to see, but he has a real versatility about him in the positions he can play. He has a wonderful attitude to his work.”
This is set to be McAteer’s first campaign of consistent minutes, and the 21-year-old could benefit from some healthy competition from Rak-Sakyi.
Nevertheless, both players are magnificently talented, and it would give Leicester some frightening depth if they possessed both gems in their ranks.
Leave a Reply