adminLeicester City fans once cheered his name. Now, Stephy Mavididi has walked away from the club after a stunning turn of events that brought his time at the King Power Stadium to a bitter end.
The £6m-rated forward went from being one of Leicester’s biggest attacking threats to being left out of matchday squads as the club looked to move him on.
But that was only part of the drama. Tensions had already been building, and comments attributed to Mavididi after his departure appeared to reveal just how badly relations had broken down.
Then came the moment that finally ended it all. On transfer deadline day, Leicester confirmed that Mavididi would leave on loan bringing an extraordinary chapter to a close and sending the 28-year-old into a new beginning at Watford.
Mavididi spent three seasons at Leicester City after arriving from Montpellier in July 2023 for a reported fee in the region of £6–7 million. Across all competitions, he made 127 appearances and scored 23 goals for the Foxes.
In his first season under Enzo Maresca, Mavididi was a regular on the left wing. He featured in all 46 league matches, contributing 12 goals and several assists as Leicester secured the EFL Championship title and promotion. His strong form in the autumn also earned him the Championship Player of the Month award for December 2023.
Mavididi adapted to top-flight football the following season, making 30 Premier League appearances and scoring four goals while Leicester fought to remain in the division.
Back in the Championship for the 2025/26 campaign, he remained a regular, recording 42 appearances in a difficult season that ended in relegation to League One. As the club looked to reduce its wage bill ahead of the 2026/27 season, transfer interest intensified. Mavididi and teammate Wout Faes were left out of matchday squads early in the new campaign while the club pursued options to move high-earning players.
Relations with sections of the support had become strained by this point. In comments that circulated after his departure, Mavididi was reported to have said: “The fans are ingrate, they don’t know or value what I did for them and they turn against me when things are not right, it’s a sh*t club.”
On 1 September 2026, transfer deadline day, Leicester confirmed a season-long loan for Mavididi to Championship side Watford.
Upon completing the move, Mavididi expressed satisfaction with the outcome. “I’m happy and extremely pleased that the deal is done,” he said, adding that he was focused on contributing at his new club.
The loan provides the 28-year-old with regular Championship football after a period of uncertainty at the King Power Stadium. Watford, meanwhile, have added an experienced wide forward with proven promotion credentials and Premier League experience to their squad for the 2026/27 season.
Abdulhafiz Teslim
