Leicester City striker Tom Cannon has experienced an eye-catching spell in the Championship so far during the 2024/25 campaign, highlighted by him scoring four goals in one match but what does his long-term future look like?
Cannon is currently on loan at Championship side Stoke City and has netted four goals in his opening five league matches for his new loan side, although all four of those arrived during the same game as he ran riot against newly-promoted Portsmouth in a 6-1 win.
The Foxes reportedly hold a recall clause which can be activated in January, creating anxiety for Stoke City supporters and opening the door for rival clubs to swoop in and attempt to land the forward on a permanent contract.
How has Cannon faired away from Leicester thus far?
Since completing a loan move away from Leicester City, Cannon has made six appearances in all competitions, in which five of them were starts. He has scored four goals during that time although they all came at once.
Currently, Cannon is averaging 0.93 goals per 90 minutes as well as 3.94 duel wins and an xG of 1.75, allowing him to stand out at Stoke City so far and is likely a key reason why several other sides are keen to prise the striker away from his current (temporary) home.
Which clubs are keen to swoop in?
According to journalist Alan Nixon, Leicester City could be tempted to activate their recall clause during the January transfer window, with Championship duo Sheffield United and West Bromwich Albion amongst the current front-runners to sign the striker.
Stoke won the race to sign Cannon towards the end of the summer transfer window, but face the distinct possibility that they could lose their frontman in January, potentially forcing the club to begin looking at alternate options.
Is an exit upon recall likely?
Nixon has claimed that although Leicester holds a recall clause, they are more likely to activate it in order to sell the forward rather than use him in their attempts to secure their Premier League survival.
Towards the end of the summer, Leicester placed a £10m price tag on the forward before eventually allowing him to complete a loan exit instead and are keen to stick close to that figure if they were to sell him in January.
However, Nixon has claimed that the Foxes could accept a loan-to-buy deal in an attempt to secure a guaranteed figure for the striker in the near future, which also implies that his long-term future lies away from the King Power Stadium.
Whether Stoke City are able to fund a permanent swoop or Leicester opts to recall Cannon remains to be seen, but the anxiety surrounding a potential exit could be an unwelcome distraction.