[themaclad]

Leicester City goalkeeper Alex Smithies has retired at the age of 33 following persistent injury problems.

Smithies joined the Foxes from Cardiff City in the summer of 2022, but never made a single appearance for the club.

He began his career at Huddersfield Town, where he played 274 games, before moving on to Queens Park Rangers.

A Leicester statement said he had "regrettably been forced to call time on a 17-year playing career" in which he made almost 500 senior appearances.

One of the highlights of Smithies' playing career was the 2012 League One play-off final when Huddersfield beat Sheffield United 8-7 on penalties following a 0-0 draw and he saved two spot-kicks before scoring the decisive one to send the Terriers up.

[themaclad]

Leicester City have announced the signing of goalkeeper Asmir Begovic on a one-year deal.

The Bosnia-Herzegovina international joins on a free transfer after departing Everton at the end of last season.

The 38-year-old started his career at Portsmouth before a transfer to Stoke City in 2010 where he made over 150 appearances.

Begovic went on to play for Chelsea and Bournemouth before joining Everton for a second time in 2024, either side of a spell at Queens Park Rangers.

He becomes Leicester's first signing of the summer with 12 days to go before their Championship opener against Sheffield Wednesday on Sunday, 10 August.

His move to the King Power Stadium follows the departure of two Foxes goalkeepers after their relegation from the Premier League.

Danny Ward and Daniel Iversen moved to Wrexham and Preston North End respectively following the expiry of their contracts.

[themaclad]

Leicester City midfielder Wilfred Ndidi has left the Foxes for Turkish club Besiktas on a permanent deal.

The 28-year-old Nigeria international departs after eight and a half years at the King Power Stadium.

Ndidi won the FA Cup, Community Shield and gained promotion to the Premier League in 2023-24 with the Foxes before the club suffered a second relegation in three years last season.

He made 303 appearances for Leicester in all competitions, scoring 18 goals.

The fee for Ndidi is not disclosed but is widely reported to be about £8m.

He is the fifth high-profile player to leave the club - after Jamie Vardy, Connor Coady and goalkeepers Daniel Iversen and Danny Ward - following the Foxes relegation from the Premier League last season.

Leicester begin their Championship campaign at home to Sheffield Wednesday on Sunday [16:30 BST].

[themaclad]

Leicester City have signed Feyenoord striker Julian Carranza and midfielders Jordan James from Rennes and Aaron Ramsey from Burnley on season-long loans.

Argentine 25-year-old Carranza scored five goals in 30 appearances for the Dutch club last season after joining from US Major League Soccer side Philadelphia Union.

Carranza, who also previously played for Inter Miami in the United States, has not featured for the Eredivisie club this term.

He became the first outfield player signed by the Foxes since their relegation from the Premier League and joins a club that lost legendary forward Jamie Vardy on their return to the Championship.

Carranza said he is "excited" to make the switch to Leicester in England's second tier despite featuring for Feyenoord in the Champions League and helping them finish third in the Dutch top flight last term.

Meanwhile, 21-year-old Wales international James returns to the English Football League on loan after leaving Birmingham City for French side Rennes in August 2024.

He made 23 top flight appearances last season but has not featured for them this term.

Ramsey, 22, missed the majority of last season because of a knee injury but scored in his first appearance at Turf Moor for 18 months when he helped the Premier League club to victory against Derby County in the EFL Cup last month.

Leicester winger Bilal El Khannouss has joined Stuttgart on an initial loan deal.

The 21-year-old's move will become permanent with the Bundesliga club holding an obligation to buy.

El Khannouss cost Leicester £21m from Genk in August 2024 and made 39 appearances, scoring three times, but was unable to stop their relegation from the Premier League.

He had been left out of Marti Cifuentes' last two matchdays squads for the wins over Charlton and Birmingham City.

Crystal Palace held a strong interest in the Morocco international but with Leicester selling Kasey McAteer to Ipswich and James Justin joining Leeds, the Foxes were under no financial pressure to sell.

Leicester had earlier signed striker Julian Carranza on loan from Feyenoord.

The 25-year-old made 30 appearances for the Rotterdam club in all competitions last term, including in the Champions League, and scored five times, having joined from MLS side Philadelphia Union last summer.

The Foxes are also pushing to sign Burnley midfielder Aaron Ramsey and Rennes' Wales international Jordan James on loan.

Leicester also confirmed two loanee departures late on deadline day as forward Nathan Opoku joined League Two side Newport County and Woyo Coulibaly departed for Serie A side Sassuolo on loan for the campaign.

Coulibaly has made just five senior appearances for the Foxes since joining from Italian side Parma in January.

Opoku has played five times for Leicester's U21's side but is yet to make a senior appearance for the team.

[themaclad]

Leicester City have signed former Real Betis goalkeeper Francisco Vieites on a two-year deal.

The 26-year-old Spaniard has moved to King Power Stadium as a free agent, having been released by Betis in August.

Vieites, who was on the books at Celta Vigo earlier in his career, made 20 appearance for Betis after joining them from CD Lugo in 2022.

Eight of those appearances came in the Europa Conference League last season, as he helped the club reach the final against Chelsea.

He was an unused substitute in the 4-1 defeat in Wroclaw, Poland.

"It's a very big step for my career," Vieites told Leicester's website., external

"I'm very happy to join this massive club and I'm eager to start working, meet my colleagues and to try and enjoy the first three points."

Vieites becomes the second goalkeeper signed by Leicester since their relegation, with former Chelsea and Bournemouth keeper Asmir Begovic having joined them after leaving Everton.

Veteran Begovic has featured on the bench so far this term, with Jakub Stolarczyk starting all five matches, after last season's number one Mads Hermansen was sold to West Ham for about £20m in August.

[themaclad]

Leicester left-back Luke Thomas has agreed a new contract to keep him at the King Power Stadium until 2029.

The 24-year-old, a graduate of the Foxes' academy, has made more than 100 appearances for the club in all competitions and is ever-present so far this season.

"I'm really happy to have another four years here and hopefully more to come after that," Thomas told the club website., external

"It's the team I've supported since I was born, really. My dad has brought me up to support Leicester City."

The homegrown defender made his first-team debut for Leicester aged 19 and went on to feature in their FA Cup final success against Chelsea a year later.

He had loan spells with Sheffield United and Middlesbrough during the 2023-24 campaign and has also represented England at every youth level from Under-18 to Under-21.