Claude Puel admits he wanted Leicester to sign £26m 'genius', Foxes got James Maddison instead
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Claude Puel’s near two-year spell in the dugout of Leicester City will not be remembered too fondly by fans of the Premier League strugglers.
And, OK, the softly-spoken Frenchman might have lasted a lot longer than Steve Cooper for instance. The most recent Leicester City boss was sacked after Saturday’s 2-1 defeat by Chelsea, just 12 games into his Foxes career.
But Puel’s handling of the Riyad Mahrez and Adrien Silva sagas, that FA Cup humiliation by Newport County, and football capable of curing insomnia quickly rendered him a rather unpopular figure amongst the majority of the Leicester supporters.
Still, one wonders how differently Puel’s time at the King Power Stadium might have gone had he achieved his ambition of bringing Aleksandr Golovin to English football.
Golovin, back in 2018, was a footballer in considerable demand. The playmaking prince of Russia’s remarkable World Cup run, Monaco pulled off quite the coup when they won the £26 million race for the then-CSKA Moscow talisman six years back.
A former CSKA scout confirmed recently that Chelsea wanted Aleksandr Golovin before he swapped Moscow for Monaco.
Puel, meanwhile, now confirms that Leicester were in the running too.
Claude Puel wanted Aleksandr Golovin at Leicester City before Monaco move
"He's a player I followed when he was in Russia and I was at Leicester,” Puel recalls, speaking to Nice Matin. “We offered him [the chance to make the switch to England] but he moved to Monaco."
The fact that Leicester would end that summer having signed another talented young attacking midfielder by the name of James Maddison, at least, goes some way to offsetting any disappointment.
The former Norwich City whizzkid would, of course, blossom into one of the division’s premiere talents in royal blue. Celebrating his 28th birthday in style on a magical Saturday night in Manchester, Maddison silenced his Tottenham critics with a famous first-half brace as Spurs hammered Pep Guardiola’s Man City.
He’s still got it, certainly. Maddison producing an ‘absolutely wonderful’ display at the perfect time as he fights to keep his place in Ange Postecoglou’s starting XI.
As for Golovin, this ‘genius‘ of a midfielder is yet to get going at the start of 2024/25. Only one goal and no assists from 13 appearances, this is certainly not the sort of return which will see a repeat of those Martin Odegaard comparisons, via Komment Live.
“He had a good season last season,” Puel adds. “He found himself under [Monaco coach Adi] Hutter. He was slowed down by injuries but he has to start again.
“He must be more demanding of himself through his stats, and must bring much more to the team."
Lee Carsley and Ruud van Nistelrooy in Leicester running
Five years after calling time on Puel’s tenure, Leicester once again find themselves on the lookout for a new head coach. TBR understands that former Brighton and Hove Albion and Chelsea boss Graham Potter will rebuff any Leicester advances.
The same cannot be said of Ruud van Nistelrooy, however. The Manchester United legend is pushing hard for the Leicester job, TBR can confirm, after leaving Old Trafford in the wake of Ruben Amorim’s appointment.
Former England interim boss Lee Carsley is another in contention, alongside the vastly experienced David Moyes and West Brom chief Carlos Corberan.
