Leicester City made their second major transfer move of the summer with the signing of Sevilla midfielder Vicente Iborra for a reported fee of £12million.
The 29-year-old put pen to paper on a four-year deal, with head coach Craig Shakespeare revealing his joy at being able to add a player with such vast experience to his squad:
“With Vicente, he is one the recruitment department have had earmarked for a while, rated him very highly. Then to meet him and see him out in training, his pedigree is there for all to see. We spoke about what he brings, he was captain of Sevilla, the leadership qualities, but what came across when I spoke to him was his aims, and hopes. He wants to be a team player, he wants to be part of a team. He is not an individual. They are values I rate very highly as a manager.”
The History
Iborra came through the ranks at Spanish side Levante and made his first-team debut in a Copa del Rey clash against Getafe in January 2008. His La Liga bow, against Real Madrid, came four days later.
He remained with the club despite their relegation that year and was a key member of the side that helped earn promotion back to La Liga in 2009/10.
The midfielder established himself as a regular starter during the 2011/12 campaign, and two strong seasons with Levante helped convince Sevilla to sign Iborra in August 2013.
His four-year spell in Seville was a huge success.
He picked up three consecutive UEFA Europa League winners medals and three top-five finishes in La Liga, and was also named club captain.
Iborra produced 30 goals and 13 assists in 172 matches in all competitions, but last season found his first-team opportunities limited, managing just 12 league starts, which paved the way for the move to Leicester.
The Prospects
Having featured for Sevilla as a defensive, central and attacking midfielder, along with a few appearances in central defence, Iborra will certainly offer Shakespeare plenty of versatility.
Standing six foot three inches tall, Iborra is perhaps not the archetypal Spanish midfielder and, when used in a central support role behind a striker, has even drawn comparisons with Manchester United’s Marouane Fellaini.
Iborra is very strong in the air – he won 64% of his aerial duels last season – and will provide a different kind of threat for the Foxes.
He also possesses good predatory instincts, having scored exactly seven goals in each of his last three league campaigns despite predominantly operating in a deeper midfield role.
While he can appear slightly ungraceful, Iborra is technically sound, with his adaptability illustrating his football intelligence. His physicality, meanwhile, should be well suited to the Premier League.
Under Shakespeare, Leicester generally lined up in either a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-4-1-1 formation during the final months of last season.
Iborra offers an alternative to Danny Drinkwater or Wilfred Ndidi in central midfield and can also compete with Shinji Okazaki in the central support role. Islam Slimani and Leonardo Ulloa are also options to tuck in behind or play alongside Jamie Vardy, though the potential arrival of Kelechi Iheanacho from Man City will also bolster the Foxes’ options in the final third.
The Spaniard could also play in a deeper role if Shakespeare considers using a 4-1-4-1 system, either in tougher away matches or against the leading clubs, with the significant outlay made on Iborra suggesting he will command a regular starting berth.
While Vardy will be the leading attacking option from the Foxes, Iborra may offer a possible alternative in midfield, with the 29-year-old priced at 6.0 in Fantasy Premier League (FPL) and 8.3 in Sky Sports.
With Riyad Mahrez’ future at the King Power Stadium in doubt, Iborra could come into contention alongside the likes of Demarai Gray, Marc Albrighton and possibly Ndidi as cheaper options.
Iborra impressively averaged a shot every 47.52 minutes last term, which was better than both Ndidi (49.10) and Albrighton (115.48), although slightly inferior to Gray (38.48).
The England U21 international did only register five attempts from inside the box, though, compared to 24 for the Spaniard.
But the former Sevilla player doesn’t look to boast much assist potential, only producing a key pass every 92.06 minutes. That was, unsurprisingly, less than wide men Albrighton (51.60) and Gray (61.12), although significantly better than Ndidi (253.67).
Then again, Iborra didn’t play in a central support role last season, so those numbers should be a lot more impressive in that position.
One negative factor surrounding Iborra’s prospects is his disciplinary record. He picked up 34 yellow and two red cards over the past four seasons, committing a foul every 37.77 minutes last term.
Leicester’s opening schedule (ars, BHA, mun, CHE, hud, LIV) perhaps mean Iborra is unlikely to come onto our radars, at least initially.
That tough start will hand Fantasy managers the ideal opportunity to see whether Iborra can cement a regular spot in the starting XI and, just as pertinently, what position he’ll be taking up.
Iborra’s goal scoring record means he is definitely one to track, and if he is kindly priced and plays in an advanced role, he could well be a factor in our seasons.
