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Forget it Rodgers – Leicester would be better off dodging this in-form 6-goal bullet

Why Leicester City should look at better players than Macauley Bonne

According to talkSPORT (h/t Leicestershire Live), Leicester City have been credited with an interest in Charlton striker Macauley Bonne, who has been in fine form for the Addicks in the Championship in recent times.

Premier League rivals Newcastle United, as well as Championship promotion-hopefuls Fulham, have also been mentioned among the potential suitors for the 24-year-old, who only earned himself a move to the second-tier with Charlton this past summer. (talkSPORT h/t Leicestershire Live)

The Ipswich-born striker, who fired Leyton Orient back into the Football League system with a 23-goal haul in the National League last season, initially found regular minutes hard to come by in the Championship but he has proven his worth with a flurry of top-drawer displays in recent weeks.

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Macauley Bonne fired Leyton Orient to Football League promotion with a 23-goal haul in the National League last season (Getty Images)

Despite Charlton’s lacklustre run of form in the second-tier over the past three months, Bonne has been one of the brightest sparks and found the net in each of the Addicks’ four fixtures against Fulham, Derby County, Bristol City and West Brom back in October. 

That was followed by a goalless streak of four games before the 2-cap Zimbabwean international returned to scoring ways with a goal in the 3-1 defeat at the hands of Sheffield Wednesday. Bonne currently boasts of an impressive tally of 6 goals and an assist in 14 Championship appearances.

Meanwhile, Leicester City registered their eighth straight win in the Premier League with a 4-1 drubbing of Aston Villa on Sunday to finish gameweek 16 placed second in the standings, eight points behind undisputed pace-setters Liverpool.

Currently 14 points clear of fifth-placed Man United, it might be too early to make a call but Leicester look as if they have already done enough to guarantee themselves a Champions League spot for the upcoming season, and a decent run of results in the second half of the campaign could be enough for them to seal a return to the continental stage.

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Macauley Bonne has emerged as a target for Premier League clubs Newcastle United and Leicester City (Getty Images)

Having said that, a tally of 39 goals scored and just 10 conceded in the process is a clear reflection of the kind of massive progress that the Foxes have made under Rodgers this term, and Leicester aren’t really one of those clubs who need to make wholesale changes to their squad in January.

To put things into perspective, Leicester City’s interest in Macauley Bonne doesn’t look all that impressive, given that the Foxes aren’t really crying out for a new striker at the moment. The Zimbabwean doesn’t look like a substantial upgrade on the club’s existing options up top.

Jamie Vardy is currently the top scorer in the Premier League with 16 goals in 16 games following a blistering start to the campaign while Kelechi Iheanacho has also stepped up in recent weeks to chip in with valuable strikes against Everton and Aston Villa.

Ayoze Perez continues to be a handy utility player for Rodgers with his versatility to play on either flank and also through the middle, ensuring valuable cover for the manager in multiple areas of the pitch. 

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Bonne has bagged 6 goals in 14 Championship appearances for Charlton Athletic this term (Getty Images)

Looking at Bonne’s CV, the Zimbabwean is only just playing his first season in the Championship, having previously featured for the likes of Colchester United, Leyton Orient Lincoln City and Woking in the lower echelons of English football. 

Indeed, the 24-year-old has caught the eye with his impressive step up to the second-tier this term but it is imperative to say that there is a lot of difference between racking up the goals in the Championship and cutting the mustard in the Premier League.

Verdict

With all due respect to Bonne’s credentials, he isn’t really the player that Leicester City should be looking at in January, particularly when they are soaring high atop the standings and planning for life in the Champions League next year.

In footballing terms, Iheanacho and Perez are more than capable of providing cover and competition for Vardy, and even if Rodgers feels that he really needs to bring in another striker to add another dimension to his attack, there are far better options available than Macauley Bonne, who was only playing non-league football last season.

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Credits: Getty Images

That’s not to play down the quality of non-league football and it’s always wise not to do that, with Jamie Vardy a prime example of a non-league rookie turning into a Premier League icon. However, Bonne needs to prove his mettle in the Championship over a longer duration of time to warrant a move to a club like Leicester.

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Suffice to say, the sky is the limit for this immensely-talented Leicester City squad and Macauley Bonne looks unlikely to fit into the Rodgers’ plans.