Leicester City is considering a deal for Queens Park Rangers midfielder Ilias Chair as a possible James Maddison replacement, according to rumours.
Following their relegation from the Premier League, Leicester is going to lose Maddison, with Tottenham reportedly being interested in signing the 26-year-old. If Maddison’s move from Leicester is made possible, Chair fits the bill as the sort of player they are looking for.
Chair, who plays for the Moroccan national team, is reportedly on the Foxes’ list of potential replacements for Maddison. Despite QPR’s troubles at the bottom of the table, the 25-year-old is considered to be one of the Championship’s most innovative midfielders after contributing nine assists and five goals in 40 appearances in the 2022-23 season.
He also made one appearance for Morocco during the World Cup in Qatar, helping the team get to the semi-finals. Chair’s contract with QPR expires in June 2025, although the Loftus Road club can choose to extend it by a further 12 months.
The Belgian-born player is capable of playing on both sides, in the attacking midfield, and even as a forward during the 2022–23 season. Before joining QPR as a 19-year-old in January 2017, he advanced through the ranks at Club Brugge and Liese.
The midfielder would cost a fraction of what Maddison would have, but he would bring much-needed Championship experience to the King Power Stadium. Arsenal and Newcastle are competing for the services of the Foxes player, who has just over a year left on his contract, as reported by Football Insider.
Manager Dean Smith’s short-term contract is scheduled to expire in the coming weeks, and Leicester has not yet named a new manager for the 2023–24 season.
Despite defeating West Ham 2-1 on the last day of the season (May 28), the Foxes were unable to avoid the relegation drop.
