Leicester Hold on to Key Player as El Khanouss to Palace Deal Collapses

Leicester City have held on to Bilal El Khanouss for now, after a potential move to Crystal Palace fell apart on Tuesday over the amount of money the Eagles were wishing to pay up front.

The Moroccan winger, who arrived in England just last summer, was seen as a potential replacement for Palace’s outgoing star Ebere Eze, but the FA Cup winners must now look elsewhere if they are to find the star quality that Eze took to Arsenal.

One of the under the radar transfers in the summer and probably will be one of the biggest beneficiaries of Van Nistelrooy’s becoming Leicester manager.

Keep an eye on El Khannouss.

His creativity alongside Buonanotte should see Leicester create a lot more quality chances. https://t.co/JepYTHitSb pic.twitter.com/8o8SOery7l

— Ben Mattinson (@Ben_Mattinson_) December 8, 2024

After relegation to Championship last season, Leicester have struggled to keep hold of some of their key players over the course of the summer transfer window, and while keeping El Khanouss does not bring the same endorphin rush as a new signing, it is a coup for the Foxes nonetheless.

How did the deal fall apart?

With Eze’s departure from Crystal Palace confirmed last week, the Eagles were certainly not expected to turn to the Championship for an alternative option - however, it is understandable why they listed El Khanouss as a high priority option.

Bilal El Khannouss, 𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗣 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗧 😱💨 pic.twitter.com/PxIdIari8T

— ᴍᴏᴜɴᴛᴀᴋʜᴀʙ ғᴏᴏᴛ 🇲🇦 (@MountakhabFoot) April 12, 2025

The Moroccan played in 32 of their 38 Premier League games last season, and was one of a very short list of players to impress as the Foxes crumbled to relegation, scoring three goals and assisting five more.

Crystal Palace wished to purchase the winger through the increasingly popular method of a structured deal, which would include installments and add-ons as well as an up front fee. However, their initial bid, which added up to around £32 million, was turned down by Leicester, who responded by saying they wished to receive £35 million up-front, without running the risk of unlikely add ons and “potential” future payments.

With the deal now considered “dead”, Leicester fans will be glad to hear that Crystal Palace are now pursuing other options - with a congested season of Championship football ahead, the Foxes need to keep what players they can, and Bilal El-Khanouss could hold the key for an immediate bounce back up to the Premier League.