Sunderland may have missed chance of landing Leicester City’s Leonardo Ulloa

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Leonardo Ulloa is reportedly on the verge of signing a new contract at Leicester City just a few months after a Sunderland switch looked likely.

It’s fair to say few saw this coming. According to Sky Sports, Leonardo Ulloa is close to signing a new contract with Leicester City just a few months after a high-profile falling out with former manager Claudio Ranieri during the January transfer window.

The report adds that the Argentine, who was pushed down the pecking order by the arrival of Islam Slimani last summer, was distraught after Ranieri allegedly reneged on his promise to let him go midway through the season.

Leonardo Ulloa’s future appeared certain to lie elsewhere

And it’s fair to say Ranieri’s departure in February didn’t exactly pave the way for Ulloa’s immediate return to the fold. The 30-year-old only started two games in the final three months of the season under caretaker manager Craig Shakespeare, who has now been handed the job on a full-time basis.

Therefore, you wonder whether Sunderland will regret not making another move earlier this summer.

The Telegraph reported in January that The Black Cats made three bids for Ulloa in the winter window, reaching as high as £8 million, though Leicester refused to sell to a club who, at the time, looked like a rival in a potential relegation dogfight.

Opportunity missed?

And when Sunderland eventually slipped through the trapdoor in May, ending a ten year stay in the Premier League, renewing their interest in Ulloa seemed to be a no-brainer – even if a debt crisis meant they would have to rely on Leicester letting the Argentine leave on the cheap.

Ulloa is a proven Championship goalscorer after all, earning his big-money move to the King Power Stadium in 2014 after netting 23 goals in 50 games for Brighton and Hove Albion.

As it stands, Sunderland have no senior strikers following the departures of Jermain Defoe, Fabio Borini and Victor Anichebe. And it appears they’ve missed their shot at landing Ulloa as he closes in on a Leicester City stay.