Leicester City have signed Hamza Choudhury to a new four-year contract, but Enzo Maresca has stated that extending contracts for other members of the squad is “not a priority.” Choudhury signed a contract extension with his childhood club this week, and the defensive midfielder responded with one of his greatest performances of the season in the loss to Liverpool.
His previous contract was slated to end next summer. And there are a few of his City teammates whose contracts are set to expire in 2024. Jamie Vardy, Marc Albrighton, Wilfred Ndidi, Kelechi Iheanacho, Dennis Praet, and Alex Smithies are among them. But don’t expect them to sign new contracts anytime soon.
It’s not at the top of Maresca’s priority list right now. When asked if additional contracts were on the way, Maresca answered during a news conference on Friday, “No. We are now concentrating on our season and games. We have time to look at it and make a decision. The priority at the moment is not that.”
So, why was Choudhury given a new contract? Maresca stated that he earned one due of his dedication to training and to demonstrate that he is on the right track as he adjusts to a new role. While he replaced Harry Winks at Anfield, he has mostly been utilised as an option to Ricardo Pereira in a dual position that sees him roam back and forth between full-back and midfield.
“The reason is that he will undoubtedly assist us,” Maresca stated of Choudhury. “And then there’s the fact that he deserves it.” He graduated from the academy and is currently working extremely hard. The next phase is to assume leadership. As I previously stated, he is no longer the man from the academy who joined the first team; he is now one of the leaders. He must demonstrate this. His actions demonstrate this.
“He’s been training hard since day one.” He can accomplish the job we’re searching for, just like Ricardo. He is a highly active full-back defensively. On the ball, particularly against Liverpool, it was his greatest game in terms of displaying and serving, displaying personality, and asking for the ball. I don’t recall any errors from him when he was on the ball. I’m quite pleased with how he’s progressing.”
