He's Back! West Ham Legend Eyes EFL Championship Return After Joining Training

Iconic West Ham Striker Closes In on Football Return

Leicester City's season thus far has been far from ideal. The Foxes currently sit a disappointing 13th in the EFL Championship table, and any hopes of an immediate return to Premier League football look to be slipping away, save for a resurgence in the second half of the season in dire need of being found.

Their striker department isn't exactly anything to get excited over either. 34-year-old Jordan Ayew is the go-to, but only has three league goals this season whereas £23m man Patson Daka has continued in failing to pull up any trees - he scored his first goal for 11 months at the end of November in a 2-1 win over Stoke, but has gone goal-less for another four games afterwards.

So a revamp in the attacking regiment seems necessary for Marti Cifuentes and his men. With The Foxes under strict problems when it comes to finances, the caliber of player available for them to pick up as we enter into the January window may be sparse. However, reports today have suggested that a certain West Ham United legend may potentially be closing in on a move to the East Midlands to help their plight.

Michail Antonio In Line For Potential Leicester Move

Michail Antonio is the man of the hour, with John Percy and Mike McGrath reporting that the 24-times-capped Jamaica international has commenced training with The Foxes as a free agent, and was at the training ground on Thursday morning for talks with the higher-ups of the club.

🦊 Michail Antonio is currently training with Leicester City.

His last game was over a year ago. pic.twitter.com/ydXZjrFez1

— The #EFL Zone (@TheFLZone) December 12, 2025

Antonio, who turns 36 in March, has been out of action from the sport since December of last year after a horrific road accident threatened to bring an end to his career and potentially his life. It was a miracle that Antonio got away from the incident with his life intact, and even more so that he was able to continue his playing career - he earned another three caps for Jamaica over the course of 2025 and resumed playing with the academy of West Ham at the start of the season with his former club continuing to support his rehabilitation after the expiry of his contract in the summer.

Now, though, a return to full-blown club football may be just around the corner for Antonio, who netted a club-record 68 goals for The Hammers over a 10-year stint after signing from Nottingham Forest in 2015. Percy stated that nothing has been agreed as of yet in terms of securing a deal for the player, but the signs are showing that Antonio will be ready for a miraculous return to first-team football after all.

Michail Antonio to Leicester City - The Fan Reaction

The reaction amongst Leicester supporters has been mixed after the news that Antonio may be joining the club. The slight majority of supporters have responded to the news in support of the bid. One fan claimed that a "half-fit Antonio is still a better option than Daka".

A half fit Antonio is still a better option than Daka

— Michael J. Topley (@MichaelJTopley) December 12, 2025

Another went further, stating that as long as the wages on command were of a reasonable number then the deal would be a strong one, claiming Antonio to be "some player".

If not silly wages, worth the risk 100% some player!

— Ross Edmo (@Ross_Edmo) December 12, 2025

Other supporters have been a little more aprehensive of the move. One supporter stated that the deal would be fine on a per-game wage agreement (similar to Callum Wilson's offering with West Ham) but doubted that the Leicester board would put that through.

Not against it if it's a pay-as-you-play, or at absolute max a deal 'til the end of the season. But knowing us it'll be a 3 year contract on Prem wages.

— DC (@_dc194) December 12, 2025

Finally, another supporter seemed totally against the move, stating that Jon Rudkin needed to move away from the rhetoric of signing "overpaid players in their mid-30's".

Someone want to tell Rudkin he doesn’t have to sign overpaid players in their mid-30s?

— Sam 🦊 (@LestahSam) December 12, 2025

Michail Antonio, despite the obvious need to build his match sharpness and the added pressure of a monumental comeback from a horrendous injury, represents a powerful striker with a solid Premier League record to his name - the Wandsworth-born forward netted five or more goals in eight of his ten seasons in London, and hit double-digits for three seasons on the bounce between 2019 and 2022.

If the deal does not break apart Leicester's tetchy wage structure, then West Ham veteran Michail Antonio may be a very strong option to add to The Foxe's struggling firepower as they look to recover their season.