“Concerning” is the statement on Oliver Skipp’s circumstances at Leicester City.
With five league games remaining, the Foxes’ instant relegation back to the Championship was confirmed last month. With former Southampton manager Martin expected to take charge soon and Ruud van Nistelrooy’s future at the helm uncertain, the East Midlands team faces a summer of change.
Skipp, a defensive midfielder who joined the team from Spurs in an August transfer rumored to be for up to £25 million, struggled to help them survive and was frequently benched behind players like Wilfred Ndidi and Boubakary Soumare.
To swiftly move past his disappointing debut season, the 24-year-old has been pushed to recapture his form next season, since he has previously excelled in the second division with Norwich City.
After rising through Tottenham’s junior ranks and making 106 appearances for the squad in five different seasons, Skipp spent the majority of his time with the main team as a backup.
During the 2020–21 season, he made 47 appearances across all competitions while on loan at Norwich, where he helped the Canaries win the Championship title as a regular under Daniel Farke. This was his first taste of regular senior play. Because of his outstanding individual performances, he was also included in the PFA’s second-tier Team of the Season.
Last summer, Spurs decided to let him go permanently, and despite interest from Ipswich Town, another recently promoted Premier League team, Leicester emerged victorious in the competition for his services. The 24-year-old cost the Foxes a whopping £25 million to sign, but they haven’t seen much of a return on their investment yet.
| Oliver Skipp’s career statistics by club (2018-present) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Team (years) | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| Tottenham Hotspur (2018-2024) | 106 | 1 | 2 |
| Norwich City (2020-2021) | 47 | 1 | 2 |
| Leicester City (2024-present) | 28 | 0 | 0 |
In his first season at King Power Stadium, Skipp made 28 appearances in league and cup competitions, but he only made 12 league starts and did not contribute any goals. He was merely a passenger on their sinking ship, and Leicester hardly ever appeared likely to survive under either Steve Cooper or van Nistelrooy.
The Foxes fan commentator for FLW, Louchlainn Martin, acknowledges that he was taken aback by the high price paid to acquire Skipp from Spurs last summer and has not been impressed by his performances since joining the team.
He has, however, encouraged the England youth international to do better in the Championship the next season because of his prior league performance and his potential for Martin to make good use of him if he is hired as their new head coach.
“The fee of £20 million, which apparently increased to £25 with add-ons, was the only reason why Oliver Skipp’s signing with Leicester last summer caused so much controversy,” Louchlainn told FLW.
Even back then, the price was a cause for concern, but in retrospect, it is simple for us to sit here and declare what a startling piece of business that was.
“I believe that many Leicester supporters, both then and today, are wondering if they might have purchased someone better or of comparable quality for significantly less than £20 million.
Just take a look at Harry Winks, who we paid £8 million to buy a year ago, and you’re saying Oliver Skipp is worth twice as much as Winks? He isn’t in the slight, in my opinion.
“In my opinion, Skipp is unquestionably a more-than-capable football player at the Championship level. There is absolutely no doubt about that.
A few years ago, he enjoyed a fantastic season while on loan at Norwich and was named to the Championship Team of the Season.
There is no question in my mind that he could adjust and resume playing football at that level, even though we are a few years away.
You know, a player who costs £20 million to play in the Championship must be able to perform at that level in order to justify the pay.
Oliver Skipp is not someone I personally dislike. Although I don’t despise him, this season has been a complete bust.
He hasn’t benefited from the terrible group of people surrounding him, but he hasn’t done much to improve himself or anyone else’s standing either.
“I believe that we will be trapped with him. I believe the club will likely retain him around since no one is going to spend nearly as much as we did.
“He’s got two years left on his deal, and we will have to try and make the most of him.
Would a Russell Martin system work for him? I believe he would. I believe Skipp could accomplish something similar to what Flynn Downes did for him during the previous season (2023–24).
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