Leicester City set to sign ex-Aston Villa player

Leicester City are closing in on the signing of the 20-year-old

Leicester City are close to the signing of former Aston Villa starlet Arjan Raikhy.

According to Sky Sports, the 20-year-old is set to join the Championship side ahead of the upcoming campaign getting underway next week.

The youngster is expected to start in the U21 side on an initial basis but could become a first-team squad member if he impresses at the underage level.

The midfielder came through the ranks at Aston Villa but has been unable to break into Unai Emery’s first-team plans.

This has led to a number of clubs becoming interested in his services, with the Foxes now set to win the race to his signature.

Who is Arjan Raikhy?

The youngster first emerged on the scene with a wonder goal scored for Villa’s U18 side against Chelsea back in November 2020.

He earned his debut for the Villa senior team in an FA Cup third-round clash against Liverpool, which finished 4-1 in favor of the Reds in early 2021.

He has not featured for the club since having spent time out on loan in the proceeding campaigns.

Raikhy spent the first half of the 2020-21 season with Stockport County, competing in the National League.

He made five appearances for the club before returning to Villa Park in January.

The midfielder spent time on loan with Grimsby Town in 2022, competing seven times for the non-league side.

He was released by the Premier League side earlier this year, meaning he is available to join Leicester as a free agent.

Will Arjan Raikhy play a role in Enzo Maresca’s first team plans?

Raikhy’s lack of senior-level experience means he won’t be thrown into the first-team squad from the get-go.

Instead, he is likely to join the underage setup at the club, where he will be assessed by the coaches.

Maresca will be hoping that he can impress the staff at Leicester to prove he can play a role in the first-team squad.

Leicester will be aiming to compete for promotion this campaign but has lost a significant number of players due to their relegation from the top flight.

The likes of James Maddison, Youri Tielemans, and Harvey Barnes have all left for immediate Premier League returns.

In their place, the Foxes have signed Harry Winks to bolster their midfield options.

Leicester’s Championship season gets underway next week with a fixture against play-off finalists Coventry City.

Will Arjan Raikhy be a good signing for Leicester City?

The 20-year-old has shown some promise at underage level but has been unable to make it into senior football.

Leicester will be able to take a closer look at what aspects of his game needs to improve in order to make him ready for the step up to the first-team squad.

This signing won’t have a major impact on the team’s short-term future, but he could prove a smart addition in the long run if he can develop his game.

Leicester still need to strengthen their squad before the window closes, but this is also a relatively risk-free move given the tiny cost of bringing him into the club.