Leicester City ‘open talks’ with ex-Premier League striker who has ‘something to prove’
Michail Antonio is training with Leicester City as he aims to earn a contract with a new club following his West Ham exit.
Michail Antonio became a cult-hero at West Ham in his 10 years at the club, with 83 goals scored and a key role played in their 2023 Europa Conference League triumph.
West Ham struggled to compete in the Premier League last term, and Antonio was a big miss in their squad following a car crash last December that saw him suffer a broken leg.
He only returned to training in the summer, and West Ham decided against handing Antonio a new contract after he was officially released in June, but he continued to play for their Under-21 side this season.
Free agent Antonio has previously trained with Brentford to maintain match sharpness, and he could finally be set to join a new club after a new update.
Antonio is training with Championship club Leicester City as talks held
The Telegraph’s John Percy has reported that Antonio is currently training with Leicester‘s first-team squad as he continues to weigh up his options for the future.
The 35-year-old was at the Foxes’ training ground on Thursday (11 December) for talks, but nothing has reportedly been decided by either party as yet.
The Jamaican international netted double figures in three consecutive Premier League seasons between 2019 and 2022, and his 268 top-flight career appearances would add considerable experience to Marti Cifuentes‘ ranks.
Leicester have underperformed this season, sitting in 13th place in the second-tier as it stands, and it is clear that they need more firepower in attack with Jordan Ayew, Patson Daka and Julian Carranza all struggling to score on a regular basis.
What Antonio has said about his future in football
Antonio’s past form and stellar experience at the top level is a standout among any current free agents on the market, but even from his point of view, a move to Leicester would surely be one that he jumps at if he is given the chance to sign.
In an interview with talkSPORT in August, the 35-year-old laid out his aim to play in the 2026 World Cup with Jamaica and insisted that he does feel like he is finished in football just yet.
He said: “100 per cent [it’s an aim to play in the US in 2026]. That’s one thing I’ve not managed to achieve for myself, to be playing in the World Cup, and Jamaica are very close to it.
“I just wouldn’t want my career to come to an end by a car crash, literally, so I’ve got something to prove to show that I can come back, I can come back and play well, which I was doing for the last ten years.
“Even before I did the car crash, I was starting for West Ham, so it shows that I’ve still got the ability about me and I can do it again. I’m very good, I’m very happy, I’m very content with where I am.
“I’m just going to wait for my football club to come in, and then I’ll start showing everybody that I’m not just good in my mind, I’m not just good physically, I’m good on the pitch.”
Now that he has been given an opportunity to show what he can do at a club who should be competing to get back to the Premier League, it feels like Antonio will only have one thing on his mind, and that is to earn a contract with the East Midlands outfit.