Julian Carranza’s spell at Leicester City has come to an early end, with the club terminating his loan agreement and sending the forward back to Feyenoord ahead of a likely move to Mexico.
The Argentinian was absent from the matchday squad for the New Year’s Day defeat at Sheffield United, and his departure had been expected for some time. Carranza had not featured for City for 10 consecutive games and finished his stint having played just nine times without finding the net.
He struggled to force his way up the attacking hierarchy, spending most of the campaign behind Jordan Ayew and Patson Daka. In recent weeks, he even slipped below Silko Thomas in the manager’s plans. Still relatively new to European football after spending much of his career in the United States, Carranza found it difficult to cope with the physical demands of the Championship.
Although he has returned to Feyenoord for now, reports suggest a permanent switch back to North America is on the horizon, with Mexican side Necaxa expected to complete a deal.
Carranza’s exit leaves Leicester short of options up front. Michail Antonio is currently the leading candidate to fill that void, with the 35-year-old free agent training at Seagrave following his departure from West Ham in the summer. Should a deal not be agreed, the Foxes are likely to turn to the January transfer market, where signing a striker has become a pressing priority.
Goals have been in short supply from the forward line this season, forcing the team to rely heavily on midfield contributions. Ayew and Daka have managed just three non-penalty goals between them, scoring once every 799 minutes on average, roughly one goal every nine games.
Even if a new striker arrives, City will need to improve their chance creation. The current scoring returns have been fuelled by unsustainable finishing runs, with Jordan James leading the club on eight goals from just 2.5 expected goals, while Bobby De Cordova-Reid has five from an xG of 1.7.