"Concerning" - Claim made on Oliver Skipp situation at Leicester City | OneFootball

Oliver Skipp struggled throughout his debut campaign at the King Power Stadium

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Oliver Skipp's first season at Leicester City has been described as a "disaster" by our Foxes fan pundit, but the former Spurs man has been backed to improve and become a key man in the Championship if Russell Martin is appointed as their new head-coach ahead of next season.

The Foxes' immediate relegation back to the Championship was confirmed last month with five league games to spare, and a summer of change beckons for the East Midlands outfit with Ruud van Nistelrooy's future at the helm looking uncertain and ex-Southampton boss Martin mooted to take over soon.

Defensive midfielder Skipp, who joined the club from Spurs in a deal believed to be worth up to £25 million last August, struggled to aid their attempts to survive, and was often left to appear from the bench behind the likes of Wilfred Ndidi and Boubakary Soumare.

The 24-year-old has previously been a standout in the second-tier with Norwich City, however, and he has been urged to rediscover that form next season to quickly put his poor debut campaign behind him.

Foxes

Most of Skipp's time as a first-team player at Tottenham was spent as a back-up, after he emerged from their youth ranks and featured 106 times for the club across five separate seasons.

His first real taste of consistent senior action came on loan at Norwich in the 2020/21 campaign, as he made 47 appearances in all competitions and helped the Canaries win the Championship title as a regular under Daniel Farke. He was also named in the PFA's second-tier Team of the Season for his impressive individual exploits.

Spurs saw fit to let him leave permanently last summer, and it was Leicester who won the race for his services amid interest from fellow newly-promoted Premier League side Ipswich Town. The Foxes forked out a hefty £25m to sign the 24-year-old, but they are yet to see much return on their investment as yet.

Skipp made 28 appearances across league and cup competitions in his debut campaign at the King Power Stadium, with just 12 league starts and no goal contributions to his name. Leicester barely ever looked likely to stay up under either Steve Cooper or van Nistelrooy, and he was simply a passenger on their sinking ship.

FLW's Foxes fan pundit, Louchlainn Martin, has been far from impressed by Skipp's performances since he joined the club, and admits that he was surprised at the sizeable fee it took to sign him from Spurs last summer.

However, he has backed the England youth international to improve in the Championship next season due to his past form in the league and potential to be utilised well by Martin, if he is appointed as their new head-coach.

“Oliver Skipp signing for Leicester last summer raised a lot of eyebrows, and that was purely based on the fee - £20 million rising to 25, apparently, with add-ons," Louchlainn told FLW.

“In hindsight, it is easy for us now to sit here and say what a shocking bit of business that was, but even back then, the fee was quite concerning.

“I think a lot of Leicester fans, both then and now, are thinking is there no-one better or of similar quality that they could have got for much cheaper than £20 million?

“Lets just look at Harry Winks, who we signed 12 months earlier, for £8 million, and you’re trying to tell me that Oliver Skipp is worth double than Winks? I don’t think he is in the slightest.

“There’s no doubt, in my mind at least, that Skipp is a more-than-capable footballer at Championship level. That’s without a shadow of a doubt.

“He was in the Championship Team of the Season a few years ago when he was on loan at Norwich, and had a great year there.

“I know we are a few years down the line now, but there is no doubt in my mind that he could adapt and go back to playing football at his best at that level.

“But then, you’re talking about a £20 million player playing in the Championship, you know, he has to be able to play at that level for that fee.

“I haven’t got anything personal against Oliver Skipp. I don’t hate the guy, but this season has been a disaster.

“He’s not been helped by the abysmal team he has around him, but he has done absolutely nothing to lift the level of himself or anybody else either.

“I think we are going to be stuck with him. No-one is really going to pay anything close to what we spent, so I think the club will probably keep him around.

“He’s got two years left on his deal, and we will have to try and make the most of him.

“Would he fit in a Russell Martin system? I think he would. You’ve seen what Flynn Downes did for him last season (2023/24), and I think Skipp could do something similar.”

Skipp has previously been a key man in the Championship - he should be given the opportunity to impress next season

Skipp has obviously struggled to make an impact at Leicester in his first season at the club, but he was not alone in that struggle throughout their top-flight return, with only a couple of players emerging out of the campaign with any credit in the bank among supporters.

With that said, he may well be in line for increased minutes in the Championship next season, regardless of who comes in as their new head-coach, with numerous midfield departures expected in the coming months.

Wilfred Ndidi has a £9m relegation release clause in his current contract, amid apparent interest from Everton, Fulham and Crystal Palace, while the club are set to cash in on Boubakary Soumare with AS Monaco and clubs in Saudi Arabia and Qatar reportedly eyeing a move.

The 24-year-old's form last time he played in the Championship was seriously impressive, as he and his Norwich teammates took the league by storm under Daniel Farke and finished top of the table at a canter with 97 points.

The German boss described Skipp at that time as a "top player and also a top character," so he is surely in a good position to become a key man in the second-tier once again next season, especially with a few more years of experience under his belt and the determination to prove his Foxes doubters wrong.

Skipp obviously has ability and the potential to become an even better player in the future, and Leicester clearly saw something in him in his time with Spurs and Norwich to spend a sizeable £25m on his services last summer.

No matter who is in charge for 2025/26, they have to give the 24-year-old ample opportunities to prove himself as an important player to the club after such a disappointing maiden campaign.