Official: 25-year-old Nigerian star leaves Leicester City
The Nigeria international departs the English top-flight club and prepares for the next phase with confidence and optimism
Leicester City Women have announced that Ashleigh Plumptre, the talented defender, has bid farewell to the club following the conclusion of her contract at the esteemed King Power Stadium, Soccernet.ng reports.
Plumptre joined the club in 2020, making a noteworthy transition from the University of Southern California’s USC Trojans.
Having completed her Human Biology degree, she embarked on a promising journey with LCFC Women.
During the 2022/23 season, the 25-year-old showcased her prowess on the field, making 23 appearances across various competitions.
Notably, Plumptre played a significant role in the team’s triumph as winners of the Barclays Women’s Championship in 2021.
She was an influential figure during the club’s first two seasons in the women’s top flight, demonstrating her commitment and talent.
In her tenure with LCFC Women, Plumptre wore the City blue jersey with pride, participating in a remarkable 79 matches.
Presently, Plumptre finds herself in the Nigerian camp, engaging in rigorous preparations for the upcoming 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, set to commence later this month.
Having switched her international allegiance from England to Nigeria in 2021, the versatile defender represented the Super Falcons in the 2022 CAF Women Africa Cup of Nations held in Morocco.
Despite the team finishing fourth without securing a medal, Plumptre remains determined for a more gratifying experience this time around.
Nigeria’s forthcoming matches against Canada, Australia, and the Republic of Ireland at the World Cup provide her with an opportunity to shine on the global stage.
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In a recent report, The Times stated that Newcastle United are close to recruiting Leicester City star Harvey Barnes this summer. It has been claimed that the Magpies are trying to finalize a deal to bring the English talent to St. James’ Park before the start of the new season.
Barnes experienced a tough campaign at the King Power Stadium as he failed to help Leicester avoid relegation from the Premier League. Still, the English wide player deserves some credit for putting in a string of impressive displays for the Foxes in the final third.
The 25-year-old banged in 13 goals and grabbed three assists in 40 matches for the East Midlands club last season across various competitions. Barnes did well to average 2.1 shots, 0.6 key passes and 0.8 dribbles per 90 minutes in Premier League football. However, he was far from convincing when distributing the ball in the final third based on his pass completion rate of 73.5% in the English top-flight (stats via whoscored).
Barnes is under contract at the East Midlands club until 2025. However, Newcastle have every reason to be confident about getting a deal done for him following Leicester’s recent relegation from top-flight football.
Will Barnes Be A Decent Signing For Newcastle United?
Barnes is a great dribbler with the ball at his feet and can make a few driving runs with the ball out in the wide areas. He can shoot the ball with venom and precision from long range. The English talent can even set up some meaningful openings for others around him in and around the opponent’s penalty box. However, he has to find a way to be more lethal in the final third.
Barnes will no doubt enhance the quality of Newcastle boss Eddie Howe’s frontline. He would offer some serious competition for Allan Saint-Maximin and Miguel Almiron for a regular starting spot at St. James’ Park next season.
With all things considered, Barnes would be a dream signing for the Magpies this summer as he could help them challenge across all competitions in the coming years. At 25, he will only get better in the future, so Howe can expect to get the best out of him over the next few seasons.
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