Tom Cannon joined Leicester City last summer in a somewhat puzzling move from the Foxes’ perspective. They already had the likes of Jamie Vardy, Kelechi Iheanacho, and Patson Daka in the squad but decided to invest a sizable £7.5 million to sign Cannon from Everton. With four strikers vying for a single spot in Enzo Maresca’s system, the 21-year-old hardly had any game time last season in the EFL Championship, managing just three league starts. Despite his minimal game time, he scored two goals and gave an assist.
Jack of all trades but a master of none
Last season, Maresca had different profiles to choose from with his strikers. Vardy and Daka play on the shoulder of the last defender, always looking to make those runs in behind. Iheanacho involves himself heavily in the build up play, making him more of a false nine. Cannon is a mixture of both styles, capable of making runs in behind and dropping deep to link up with the midfielders. While he could do both, he did not excel, making it a classic case of “jack of all trades but master of none.”
This season has started no better for Cannon. With Steve Cooper refusing to play him despite injuries to Daka and Vardy, it became clear that the manager felt the young striker wasn’t ready for Premier League football. Leicester subsequently put the Ireland international on the loan list. Cannon joined Stoke City after attracting interest from nearly half the Championship clubs.
Tom Cannon could be Leicester City’s striker next season
Cannon is expected to start most of Stoke’s league games, making it an ideal opportunity to prove his worth. Leicester will likely be hunting for a new striker next summer as the club’s forwards look like short-term options. Odsonne Edouard is only at the King Power on loan, while Daka’s future as a Fox seems bleak. It’s also likely that Foxes legend Vardy, 37, will call time on a brilliant career at the end of this season.
If Cannon can have a good season in the Championship, he has an excellent chance of solidifying himself as a major contender to start up front for Leicester City next season. The Stoke City number nine will likely be involved in The Potters’ next fixture against Oxford United. Cannon will go up against Leicester teammate Ben Nelson, who is on a season-long loan with Oxford.
