After 11 years, Kasper Schmeichel officially left Leicester City on August 3, 2022 and joined French club Nice on a three-year deal. The transfer fee was reported to be in the $1 million range.
The 35-year-old played a huge role in the Foxes' resurgence which saw them promoted and swiftly win the Premier League title in 2015/16.
Schmeichel departed Leicester after playing 479 games for the club and left some sizable gloves to fill in goal.
Why did Schmeichel leave Leicester City for Nice?
Going into the final year of his contract with Leicester, The Athletic reported that Schmeichel simply wanted a new challenge after over a decade with the same club.
The Foxes were in need of some transfer funds and may have felt the time was right to sell their Danish star.
OGC Nice also presents an ideal destination for Schmeichel with the club playing in the UEFA Europa Conference League after advancing via the qualifying rounds.
The 35-year-old has spent his entire senior career playing football in the UK and France is not a bad place to mix things up.
Nice needed to bolster their goalkeeping ranks after the exit of Walter Benitez and have found an ideal replacement in Schmeichel.
𝗞𝗮𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗺𝗲𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗹: 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝘀 🔢#ThankYouKasper pic.twitter.com/Sxun7BQlc4
— Leicester City (@LCFC) August 3, 2022
Who replaced Schmeichel at Leicester City?
With Schmeichel being the Foxes' first-choice goalkeeper since his arrival in 2011, manager Brendan Rodgers had to find a new No. 1 ahead of the 2022-23 Premier League season.
Leicester entered the 2022/23 season with three senior 'keepers in their squad: Danny Ward, Daniel Iversen, and Alex Smithies, who was signed on a free transfer nine days after Schmeichel's departure.
The 29-year-old Ward, who has played 26 times for Wales, is the starter though Iversen is considered a genuine contender down the line.
The 25-year-old is a Denmark youth international and played regularly on loan with Preston North End in the Championship last season where he was named the club's player of the year.
Leicester City's 2022 summer transfer window disappointment
For most of the 2022 summer transfer window, Leicester City were the only Premier League club who hadn't made a new signing. And by the time it was all done, they only brought in two new faces to help fill in for the two high-profile departures.
Belgian center-back Wout Faes was acquired for $18 million to take the place of Wesley Fofana, who was transferred to Chelsea for over $88 million. Alex Smithies was brought in on a free transfer to give the Foxes three goalkeepers again after Schmeichel's departure.
Leicester had stressed a need to sell players before buying new ones with Rodgers declaring during that summer that he's willing to make do with what he has.
"Every manager in this league wants a better squad. But I’m not one who’s going to sit here and kill my board. I’m not going to do that," Rodgers said.
"Would I want a better squad? 100 per cent, absolutely. But will I work with what I have? Of course I will.
"I knew exactly what we needed six months ago, what we wanted, what the team is crying out for.
“But I really can’t lose sleep and pine for my fast right winger. Because if I can’t get it, I have to make do the best I can.
"I’d love to be in that position where the team is adding because if I could add to this group, as it’s growing and developing, then it’d be really, really exciting. If I can’t, I’m still excited to work with what I have."
Leicester City in Premier League 2022/23 TV channels, live streams
| UK | USA | Canada | Australia | |
| TV channel | Sky Sports, BT Sport | USA Network, Telemundo, Universo | — | — |
| Streaming | NOW TV, Sky Go, Amazon Prime | fuboTV, Peacock | fuboTV | Optus Sport |
UK: Matches are carried across Sky Sports and BT Sport streaming and TV platforms, with select matches on Amazon Prime.
USA: Select matches are televised on USA Network (English) and Telemundo or Universo (Spanish), and all three channels can be streamed on fuboTV. The rest of the matches are streamed on NBC platform Peacock for subscribers.
Canada: Every Premier League game streams live and on demand exclusively via fuboTV.
Australia: Fans in Australia can stream matches live and on demand on Optus Sport.