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Which players will be leaving Leicester City?

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The Mercury's Leicester City correspondent Rob Tanner answers the fans' questions on what is going on at the king power this summer.

The dust has now settled on last season's heartbreaking end to the campaign for Leicester City.

It is nearly a month since the momentous finale in the now legendary play-off semi-final defeat to Watford.

The players are away on holiday and there has been very little activity in the transfer market so far this summer.

So, with the players due to report back for pre-season training in just three weeks, what's going on at City and what's likely to happen this summer?

We put a series of fans' questions to our Leicester City correspondent Rob Tanner.

Q Is Kasper Schmeichel on his way out of the King Power Stadium? Are Leicester City going to let him go? How much do you think he is worth?

A A lot will depend on the player. If he indicates that he wants to go elsewhere there is very little point in keeping hold of him. Kasper has always been very professional and has stated how happy he is at Leicester, but he is also ambitious to play in the Premier League. City will want to keep hold of him and will slap a price tag on him to deter others, but, if someone comes in with a big offer and Kasper is interested, then they may let him go. He is rated at £4million in some reports and that would be accurate because goalkeepers of his quality are hard to come by.

Q Who do you see as a potential replacement for him, if he does go? Do you think Conrad Logan will be given a chance?

A It would be tough to replace him and City would certainly need to bring someone else in as Conrad Logan is seen as a deputy. City could consider a move for an experienced keeper who is available, such as Steve Harper at Newcastle United, Shay Given at Aston Villa or Mark Schwarzer at Fulham, or opt for a promising younger keeper who is looking for regular first-team action, such as Ross Turnbull at Chelsea.

Q There doesn't seem to be much speculation about incoming transfers. Do you think Nigel Pearson has been told he must off-load players before he can buy any?

A No. It is the notorious quiet time of the summer when everyone is off on holiday and very little business is done. Clubs are still sorting other issues as well, such as renegotiating contracts. It tends to all get going as we get close to July. Nigel Pearson has made no secret of the fact that he wants to off-load players he considers are no longer part of his plans, such as Jermaine Beckford and Neil Danns, which will be essential as City try to conform to Financial Fair Play. However, if Pearson identifies a target the club will back him.

Q Which players do you see leaving – there have been rumours of Richie Wellens returning to Doncaster. Do you think that would be a good move for both clubs?

A I think the likes of Richie Wellens and Paul Gallagher have been good servants to the club, but it is probably time for them to move on. Beckford and Danns will obviously be on their way, if deals can be done. Sean St Ledger has revealed he has been told he can move on as well. Martyn Waghorn may be another one. A move back to Donny for Wellens would be good for all parties.

Q Sean St Ledger has said that he has been told he is "surplus to requirements". Does this surprise you seeing how short of cover City are at the back?

A Nothing truly surprises me in football any more. That would indicate to me that Pearson is looking to bring in another centre-back and I wouldn't be surprised if they try to get Michael Keane back for another loan spell.

Q How much of a difference will Financial Fair Play make next season? Will City be able to abide by the regulations? Will it make their promotion push even harder? Is automatic promotion a realistic target under these rules?

A I think everyone is waiting to see how Financial Fair Play will affect the division and how clubs do business. It is designed to create more of a level playing field financially and stop clubs slipping into trouble, which is admirable. However, it will hamper City and their big advantage over others – their spending power – will be diminished. However, it is tailor-made for managers like Pearson who have shown in the past they can operate well on tighter budgets. Harry Redknapp will be worried though!

Q It's Leamington and not Real Madrid for City this pre-season – will these lower-league sides be able to give them the right challenge?

A I think the early games are just to give the players some pitch time and get their legs going again. They don't want anything too testing early on as they look to reach peak fitness for the opening day of the season. The home friendly should be a tougher test and Northampton are a decent lower league side. City have played 'high-profile' pre-season games before and they haven't been too useful, such as the Bursaspor game in Austria two summers ago and Real Valladolid four years ago.

Q The City youngsters won the Hong Kong 7s tournament against some pretty tough opposition. City seem to be a good breeding ground for the next generation but rarely seem to get a chance in the first-team. Do you think this will be the case next season and do you think some youngsters deserve a shot?

A Well, in the last few years we have seen Liam Moore and Jeff Schlupp breaking through into the first-team squad, and Tom Hopper and Harry Panayiotou have both made their debuts, so City's record isn't bad. Plus Andy King has come through the youth ranks of course. With Financial Fair Play coming in, it places more of an importance on producing home-grown talent, which can only be good for the English game. City have invested heavily in their academy, which is not restricted under FFP, and will continue to do so. I expect a few more players to come through over the next couple of seasons. Michael Cain and Joe Dodoo, who has recently signed a new two-year contract, could be the next couple to come through.

Which players will be leaving Leicester City?


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