Back in 2014, Leicester City were preparing for life back in the Premier League. Free transfers underpinned that summer transfer window and ten years on, we may expect the same. What’s the free transfer market like and who could the Foxes move for?

Our first action back as a Premier League club was to…vote in line with the majority for VAR to stay despite the fact that no player or fan seems to enjoy it or respect it. Still, being eligible for the vote marks our return to the big league and means the registration embargo should now be lifted. We can sign some players!

Well, assuming we know what we can and can’t spend, have resolved the players out of contract and have a manager in mind for our men’s team, women’s team and the men’s Under-21s. I hope Mr Rudkin wasn’t planning any holidays anytime soon, that’s a hefty to do list.

On our last return to the Premier League in 2014, our summer transfer window was fairly modest in terms of total spend, but fairly big in terms of getting bodies in. We can likely expect more of the same this year unless the club are going to impersonate Nigel Pearson’s favourite large bird and carry on spending, consequences be damned.

That summer we brought in nine players for a total of £20 million. Half of that went on Leonardo Ulloa – and Andrej Kramaric in January was another £9 million. It was the free transfers though that stood the test of time and stole the headlines. Between Esteban Cambiasso and Marc Albrighton alone we got two stars. Their paths diverged but their place in Leicester history is assured.

The other free agents were the experienced Mark Schwarzer and Matthew Upson along with Ben Hamer and Jack Barmby. A more mixed set of success in that group, but less of an issue when we didn’t have to put out a lot of cash for them. We’ve had a decent hit rate on free signings in the Premier League – the year after, we brought Christian Fuchs in for nothing. It’s a little bit like the way we got Harry Winks, making a player feel wanted and needed again can make all of the difference.

Our reasons for being more frugal in the summer of 2014 were pretty different to our position ten years on, but we should have at least one eye on the available free transfers this year while everybody else falls in love at first sight at the Euros and inevitably finds £50 million in a drawer at the training ground despite bemoaning the lack of money and financial restrictions (looking at you, Manchester City).