Leicester look at cut-price Powell purchase from Manchester United

Championship winners Leicester City, 15/8 with Coral to be relegated from next season’s Premier League, are looking at signing another Manchester United youngster.

Attacking midfielder Nick Powell, 20, is a cut-price target for the Foxes as manager Nigel Pearson wants to strengthen his squad. Leicester hold something of a unique card when it comes to luring Red Devils players, as they already have three that came through the ranks at Old Trafford on their books.

If Powell were to join the Foxes, who are odds-on at 2/5 to stay up next term, then he would join fellow midfielders Danny Drinkwater and Matty James, as well as Belgian defender Ritchie de Laet.

This trio have flourished at the King Power Stadium, with deep-lying playmaker Drinkwater winning Leicester’s Player of the Season award, and is one for punters to watch in the 2014/15 top-flight. James, meanwhile, took the Foxes’ Young Player gong.

Powell enjoyed an encouraging loan spell at second-tier team Wigan Athletic this term, scoring a dozen goals in all competitions, but a bout of tonsillitis meant he could not help the Latics in the play-offs.

Backed the billions of Thai chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, the East Midlands outfit have ambitions of playing European football within three years. Leicester are a remote prospect at 200/1 for a top six finish next term, however.

Foxes boss Pearson must take heed of the perceived mistakes made by Ian Holloway, when he got Crystal Palace promoted via the play-offs last season. Too much change in playing personnel at Selhurst Park meant the Eagles struggled to gel early on in the campaign, and Holloway quit.

Leicester have already handed forward Gary Taylor-Fletcher a new one-year contract, while deals have been offered to top scorer David Nugent, Poland defender Marcin Wasilewski and goalie Kasper Schmeichel, among others. Winger Lloyd Dyer looks set to leave the King Power, however.

The Foxes are 6/1 shots with Coral to record a top 10 finish on their return to the Premier League for the first time in a decade.