Leicester City saw a deadline-day transfer for Woyo Coulibaly collapse after the club attempted to change the terms of the deal with Genoa. The breakdown sent the player back to England and allowed Genoa to complete the signing of Cody Drameh from Hull City, as reported by Football Italia on the final day of the Serie A transfer window.
Leicester currently sit 13th in League One with 5 points from their first four games, a record of one win, two draws, and one loss. Their next match is at home against Oxford United on September 5th, a key opportunity to climb the standings.
Why did the Coulibaly deal fall apart?
Woyo Coulibaly had arrived in Italy expecting to finalise his move from Leicester City to Genoa. However, negotiations broke down at the last minute. Transfer expert Gianluca Di Marzio explained the situation, saying, "Leicester City had attempted to change the terms of the deal and this caused the deal to be called off." The specific nature of the altered terms was not disclosed, but the reversal was significant enough to scupper the entire agreement. This left Coulibaly in limbo before his return to the UK was arranged.
Who did Genoa sign instead?
With the Coulibaly deal off, Genoa moved swiftly to secure an alternative target. They completed the signing of right-back Cody Drameh from newly-promoted Premier League side Hull City. Fabrizio Romano confirmed the paperwork was exchanged, stating, "Genoa and Hull have already exchanged the necessary paperwork for the Drameh deal and he is expected to join Daniele De Rossi’s side before the close of the summer transfer window this evening." This move provided manager Daniele De Rossi with the defensive reinforcement he sought.
What does this mean for Leicester's squad?
The collapse means Woyo Coulibaly remains a Leicester City player for the time being. His immediate future is now unclear, though he could potentially feature in Enzo Maresca's plans for the League One campaign. The Foxes have scored 4 goals and conceded 3 in the league so far, leaving them with a +1 goal difference. They trail leaders Huddersfield Town by 5 points in the early stats. The squad will need to focus on their upcoming fixture against 15th-placed Oxford United, a match you can find on our fixtures page.
What was the other major Genoa exit?
The deadline day also saw movement in the opposite direction from Genoa. Their current right-back, Brooke Norton-Cuffy, is expected to join Hull City. This transfer sees Norton-Cuffy return to the UK for what is set to be his first full season at Premier League level. Reports on Monday evening had suggested he was on the verge of joining Venezia in a deal worth €14 million, but that move did not materialise. His switch to Hull appears to be the finalized outcome, creating a domino effect that involved Drameh's move to Italy.
Leicester City's attention now turns fully to their League One campaign, where improving their recent form of win, draw, loss, draw is the immediate priority ahead of the Oxford United match on September 5th.
