Leicester City’s Bilal El Khannouss refuses to commit his long-term future to VfB Stuttgart amid Premier League claims.
Wednesday’s edition of Bild has published an interview with the attacking midfielder to discuss his future plans.
The Morocco international moved to Leicester City from KRC Genk in August 2024. He managed two goals and three assists from 32 Premier League matches in his first season.
During the summer, Leicester City let him join the Bundesliga side on loan. He had options to continue in the Premier League as Newcastle United and Crystal Palace were keen.
El Khannouss revealed in December that the Championship side didn’t make it easy for him to join Newcastle United or Crystal Palace.
He’s enjoyed a good run in Germany, scoring six goals and contributing four assists from 21 matches this season.
Stuttgart have a conditional obligation to make his stay from Leicester City permanent. Bild don’t mention the conditions but state there are ‘very few hurdles’ to activate it.
Despite this, there’s fear of losing him to the Premier League, where several unnamed clubs are looking to bring him back to England.
“I’m very, very happy in Stuttgart. I have a great coach, great teammates, great fans, a great city where I feel very comfortable. We’ll see about the future, but I’m a VfB player,”
he said when that interest was put to him.
When quizzed whether he can see himself staying at Stuttgart, El Khannouss explained: “I can’t say whether I see myself as a loan player or a permanent fixture. But the most important thing is that I feel at home.”
The Leicester City owned player has returned to the Bundesliga side after taking part in AFCON. Morocco lost the final 1-0 to Senegal, and he was on the pitch for 80 minutes.
On AFCON final disappointment, he added: “I’d rather not talk about what happened in that game. It was very tough. For me, as a young player, it was very difficult to see my country lose 50 years after their last title win.”
