Leicester City boss Nigel Pearson strengthened his attacking options for the season ahead last week by snapping up Argentine forward Leonardo Ulloa for a club record £8 million. The 28-year-old arrives from Brighton and Hove Albion on a four-year deal and is The Foxes fifth signing of the summer, following Marc Albrighton, Jack Barmby, Ben Hamer and Matthew Upson to the King Power stadium.
Discussing the move with the club’s official website, Pearson revealed the South American was one of the Championship winners’ key targets after a couple of impressive campaigns with The Seagulls:
“We identified Leo as a player that could help us move forward quite some time ago. He complements the forwards we already have very well and his attributes broaden the options available to us, which will be important this season. I’m delighted we’ve been able to add him to the squad. He has adapted extremely well to the English game in a relatively short period of time and I’m sure he will have a great deal to offer us in the Premier League.”
The History
Ulloa’s career kicked off back in 2002 in his native Argentina with second division Comisión de Actividades Infantiles Comodoro Rivadavia. Struggling to earn a regular role, he managed just one goal from seven appearances before making his way to San Lorenzo, where he produced three goals in 32 matches in the Argentine top flight.
The six-foot-three forward had brief spells with Arsenal Sarandi (three goals from 12 appearances) and Olimpo (14 league games produced three strikes and an assist) before he was acquired by Spanish Second Division outfit Castellon in the summer of 2008. Over the course of a couple of campaigns, Ulloa served up 30 goals in 79 appearances for the lower league side and persuaded La Liga club Almeria to shell out for his services.
Despite scoring seven times in his debut season in the Spanish top-flight, Ulloa was unable to prevent his new side from relegation. Over the subsequent season-and-a-half, he delivered 32 goals and a single assist in 56 appearances before Brighton snapped him up in January 2013. The Argentine needed no time to adapt to his new surrounds, though, and proceeded to deliver 26 goals and eight assists in 58 matches across all competitions for the Championship outfit before Pearson came calling.
The Prospects
As our resident Leicester fan, Andy, discussed in an earlier article on Leicester’s prospects, Pearson predominantly rolled out a 4-4-2 formation in last year’s successful promotion push, with a very occasional switch to 3-5-2. A two-man frontline looks on the cards, then, and given the significant outlay, it seems more than likely that Ulloa’s imposing figure will partner David Nugent up top from the off.
In an interview with the club’s official website, Ulloa reckons his physique makes him an ideal asset for the English top-flight:
“It was my father that said he wanted me to play in the Premier League because my body is made for England. I’ve enjoyed my time in England. It’s been a year and a half now. It’s a different kind of football, English football is intense and strong, but it’s good and I feel good when I’m on the pitch. I enjoy it all the time. I’m more excited than I was to be playing in La Liga, because I think the Premier League is number one. I want to play for Leicester and I know they are a really good team. Last season they played really well and I think it’s a really good club. They have a good team and it’s great for them to be in the Premier League after a long time out.”
While a price of 5.5 in Fantasy Premier League (FPL) is budget-friendly, Ulloa may well be overlooked by Fantasy managers, given that Nugent is available for an identical price and also boasts spot-kick duties for Pearson’s side. Nugent amassed 20 goals and 12 assists in the promotion campaign, compared to the new boy’s 14 goals and four assists for Brighton, suggesting that he could provide better value.
Even so, Pearson’s acquisition of winger Marc Albrighton may prove beneficial to the Argentine. The former Villa man will be tasked with delivering plenty of crosses from the flank, with Ulloa’s aerial ability potentially playing a prominent role in Leicester’s attacking forays.
Looking at the season ticker, though, it’s fair to say that few will be willing to splash out on Pearson’s weapons from the offset. With showdowns against Everton, Chelsea, Arsenal and United supplemented by trips to Stoke and Palace in the first six Gameweeks, the Championship winners have one of the toughest opening schedules around. Steering clear looks the safest option to begin with, then, affording us time to assess whether Ulloa is capable of usurping Nugent as a Fantasy option when the fixtures take a turn for the better around Gameweek 7.
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