Leicester City may have strengthened this summer in preparation for a promotion push, but their most notable investment was in strengthening the infrastructure of their academy.
The Foxes will showcase its beautiful £100 million training complex in 2020, which will have 21 training spaces, 14 full-size training pitches, and a 499-seater surface for minor team matches.
The goal of this investment is to find the next Ben Chilwell, Harvey Barnes, and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, the academy’s most successful graduates in recent years, with the former two earning big money moves to Chelsea and Newcastle, respectively, while Dewsbury-Hall is currently a vital cog in Enzo Maresca’s winning machine.
Kasey McAteer was the latest academy product to break through this season, being a revelation down the right wing for Leicester City, scoring three goals in four Championship games.
While McAteer is currently one of the most exciting young prospects in the second division, striker Amani Richards is trying to follow in his footsteps.
Who exactly is Amani Richards?
Richards is only 18 years old, but he is already creating a reputation for himself in the Midlands thanks to his outstanding attacking displays in juvenile sides.
The highly-rated youngster was snatched from Arsenal’s development academy in January 2022, and the Gunners may live to regret letting him leave.
Operating down the right wing or as a striker, Richards emerged as one of the most intriguing young prospects in the U18s setup, scoring 24 goals in 36 games, and has subsequently converted that success into the U2s after making the step-up this season.
He even returned to haunt his former club in their U18 game with Arsenal in March, scoring both goals for the Foxes in a 2-1 triumph while scouts from Newcastle and Brentford watched in amazement of the remarkable kid.
The youthful phenom is attracting interest from a variety of clubs, and that interest will only grow after he started his U21 season with one goal and three assists in his first four outings.
With Leicester seeking to extend his contract, which expires in 2024, he’s a player they can’t afford to lose given his high upside.
Who could Richards be able to replace at Leicester?
Leicester’s offensive output has mostly come from wide areas this season, with wingers McAteer and Stephy Mavididi scoring five goals between them, taking over for the ineffective Jamie Vardy and Kelechi Iheanacho.
Don’t forget the name Amani Richards 🚀 pic.twitter.com/zGk4gN7hYf
— Jamil Nadmi (@jamil_nadmi) November 29, 2021
While Vardy opened the scoring against Southampton inside 21 seconds, that was his first Championship goal of the season and with the Englishman seeing his output decline rapidly in recent years, Maresca will need someone to replace him in the near future.
The 36-year-old only mustered up three goals in the top flight last term, which is a barometer for how quickly he’s dropped from the peak of his powers, having reached double digits for goals in eight of the last nine seasons prior, winning the Golden Boot in the 2019/20 season.
With Vardy nearing the end of his career, someone must generate regular results in his place, and as proven by Iheanacho’s performances this season, he is unlikely to contribute the goals that Leicester require.
Instead, Maresca might go to his academy to find the lively and skilled Richards, providing his team with the baptism of fire they require in the same way McAteer did.
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