Drinkwater eyes Leicester return despite ‘snake’ label – along with Saudi switch

Former Leicester City ace Danny Drinkwater has revealed he is open to returning to the club this summer.

The three-capped England international, 33, has been without a home since his contract expired at Chelsea 12 months ago – despite his final appearance for the west Londoners coming in the 2018 Community Shield defeat to Manchester City.

After clinching the Premier League title against all odds with Leicester, Drinkwater cost the Blues an eye-watering £35million in the summer of 2017.

However, the move badly damaged his reputation amongst a segment of supporters at the King Power Stadium, who immediately labelled him a snake for his supposed slimy departure. Yet, that hasn't deterred the Manchester-born midfielder from dreaming of a romantic reunion.

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"When I left Leicester, some people called me a snake," Drinkwater recalled to SportBible. "To this day, people still say I shouldn't have left. They point out that I'm not playing now but then some others say, 'Come back and get us back into the Premier League'.

"I would like to go back. I'd like to be a part of the story again, helping them get back to where they belong. When I'm fit, the quality is still there. If a team can get me to match fitness and flying again then I'll be nothing but a benefit to that club.

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"I'd also like to think I'm a big asset off the pitch. If it's something the Leicester fans want then they need to make more noise about it. Let's see what happens."

After spells at Burnley, Aston Villa and Super Lig side Kasımpasa, Drinkwater spent the entirety of the 2021/22 season on loan at then-Championship outfit Reading but the midfielder was not kept on at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.

And while a return to the second tier is appealing to the veteran playmaker, Drinkwater is also monitoring a developing situation in Saudi Arabia, which would see him re-join forces with title-winning team-mate N'Golo Kante.

"If I was to team up again with Kante [at Al Ittihad], the team knows they’ve got a Premier League-winning formula there," he says. "If that’s something they are interested in then I’m game.

"I think bringing players like Benzema, Ronaldo and Kante to the country is massively attractive for other professionals as well. You want to test yourself. I’d be more than willing to listen to offers and have a look. I’m sure it would be a great experience. They are building towards something special."

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