Patson Daka is unhappy with his continued lack of playing time at Leicester City, according to reliable sources.
This season, the Zambian international has yet to appear for Leicester City in the English Championship.
He was first ostracised from the team after expressing his desire to leave the club during the previous transfer window.
When he was first dropped from the team, manager Enzo Maresca stated that it was a “technical decision.”
“The players that were not in the squad today, it was because of a technical decision for some of them, and for some of them, I thought it was better for them to stay home,” Maresca was quoted as saying by Leicestershirelive.
Since his failed move to Bournemouth and AC Millan on deadline day, Daka has been an unused substitute for the Foxes, who lead the championship with only one loss.
His only competitive appearance this season came in Leicester City’s 3-1 loss to Liverpool in the EFL Cup last month, despite unconfirmed reports that the English club would pay RB Salzburg if the striker played this season.
The 25-year-old’s transfer to Bournemouth and AC Milan fell through on the deadline day as Leicester City were reportedly looking to recoup the £23 million they paid Salzburg for the striker, making negotiations with other clubs difficult.
BolaNews has since been told that the player is not happy with his current situation.
“Not at all; he is not happy. It’s a very sad situation for him but trust me, he is a strong guy and I am certain he will overcome this,” a source close to the player said.
Grant tipped Daka to leave Leicester City
The 2017 CAF African Young Player of the Year Award winner, with three years left on his contract with Leicester City, joined the club from Austrian Bundesliga side Red Bull Salzburg in 2021, where he scored 68 goals in 125 games.
Daka made his competitive debut against Manchester City, coming off the bench to lift the Community Shield.
His first Premier League goal came on October 16, 2021, in a 4-2 win over Manchester United at King Power Stadium.
Daka also became the first Foxes player since 1958 to score four goals in a single fixture. He netted all four goals in a 4-3 comeback victory over Spartak Moscow in the UEFA Europa League.
Last season, he scored four goals in the Premier League in 13 starts. He has 15 goals in 76 appearances across all competitions for the Foxes.
Former Chelsea FC manager Avram Grant, who is the current Zambia National Team coach, said he was concerned that Daka was not playing at his club.
“Normally, to be honest, I will tell you that I am concerned [about Patson Daka not playing for his club],” Grant told reporters in Lusaka at the Heroes National Stadium in September.
Daka has scored six goals in five matches for Zambia and was the country’s top scorer in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
It now remains to be seen if he will move to a new club in January.