Seven years on from their unbelievable league title win and Leicester City fans have been in for a reality shock. The 2016 Premier League champions, who overcame the biggest odds perhaps in all of sport, now find themselves staring down the barrel of relegation from England’s top flight, and it’s fair to say the concerns have been there for the last 12 months.

Some poor form at the back end of last season should have been a warning sign, but with a lack of transfer activity until the sales of Wesley Fofana, combined with the loss of experienced goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, and Brendan Rodgers was doomed from the start. His squad needed a serious rebuild but was left with some last-minute signings that almost cost him his job in the first months of the season.

Despite looking like he had steadied the ship, Rodgers again had Leicester fighting the relegation odds in Premier League betting, and following his sacking in April, Dean Smith now needs to keep the Foxes afloat throughout the last few games of the season. Even when the final whistle blows on the campaign there are still plenty of things to worry about for Leicester. At the time of writing though, they’re safe.

In a preseason where several players look like their time at the King Power Stadium is up, which departures will hurt the East Midlanders the most? Read on, as we look at who could leave Leicester this summer and where they could end up despite their Premier League status.

James Maddison

After being linked with a move away for well over a year now, it looks as if James Maddison will remain a Premier League player regardless of whether Leicester are relegated or not. Having finally earnt a call-up to the England squad for the World Cup, the midfielder is one of the most versatile attacking threats in the league and could easily play for a number of top six sides. The likes of Arsenal and Newcastle United had previously expressed interest in the former Norwich City man, and the influence of playing in the Champions League would surely be enough to prise Maddison to either the Emirates or St James Park.

Youri Tielemans

When he initially arrived on loan from Monaco, Youri Tielemans was a rough gem in a Leicester shirt, and although he’s suffered a tough final season at Leicester, with his contract expiring this surely spells the end of his time with the Foxes. While it looked as if the club would cash in and try and receive some kind of transfer fee last season, it now seems Tielemans will be a free agent, with Barcelona looking to sign the Belgian, who has been limited to just 28 appearances since last July. It will be interesting to see where he winds up as he still has plenty to offer at just 25.

Caglar Söyüncü

One of the worst-kept transfer secrets is Caglar Söyüncü, who is likely to be unveiled as an Atletico Madrid player as soon as the season ends. The 2021 La Liga champions, still coached by Diego Simeone, approached Leicester over the availability of the Turkish international, and his aggressive defending makes the centre-back a perfect fit in the Spanish capital.

Arriving in England back in 2018, Söyüncü waited patiently for his chance in the first team but the sale of Harry Maguire to Manchester United meant he slotted straight in as a replacement in his second season and took Leicester to the brink of Champions League football. A solid servant for Leicester, he’ll finally get his chance in Europe but this time at the Metropolitano stadium.