Premier League leaders Leicester City offloaded defensive duo Ritchie De Laet and Yohan Benalouane on loan for the rest of the season on deadline day.
De Laet, 27, had been a regular at the start of the season but lost his place to Danny Simpson at right-back and has now joined Championship giants Middlesbrough.
The former Manchester United defender wasn’t the only player to depart the King Power Stadium in the final hours of deadline day, with Benalouane returning to Serie A and joining Fiorentina on loan after failing to make an impact on Claudio Ranieri’s team following his arrival from Atalanta over the summer.
While Benalouane’s departure comes as no surprise, Ranieri’s decision to let De Laet leave could come back to haunt the Foxes, particularly if there is an injury sustained to Simpson.
Of Leicester players to have made more than one appearance in the league this season, only Wes Morgan averaged more blocks (1.1) per game than De Laet (0.9).
For more stats on Ritchie de Laet, click here to visit his WhoScored player page
