Leicester arrange bank loans over £20m Chelsea payment as expansion date mooted

Leicester City has secured additional loans from Australian bank Macquarie to support the club’s cash flow.

Recent filings with Companies House indicate that three loans were arranged, with one aimed at advancing payments from Chelsea for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s transfer.

The academy graduate left for £30 million, but the payment was structured into three instalments of £10 million each.

While the first was paid upfront, the remaining two are scheduled for July 14, 2025, and July 14, 2026. To avoid waiting for these payments, City opted for a loan from Macquarie.

This strategy has been employed previously for payments related to other player transfers, including Riyad Mahrez and Wesley Fofana. Of the two other loans, one is secured against Premier League payments due to the club between September 2024 and June 2028, which also includes potential parachute payments if City is relegated.

Regarding the King Power Stadium expansion, there has been little progress since the Section 106 agreement was approved last December.

During the latest “Your 90 Minutes” meeting, fan liaison officer Jim Donnelly noted that construction is unlikely to commence before 2026.

The approval from Leicester City Council is valid for five years, requiring work to begin by the end of 2028. The expansion plans, initially revealed in October 2021, will increase the stadium’s capacity to over 40,000.

On the field, Leicester’s 1-1 draw with Everton and results from other teams have contributed to a unique record. Six teams, including City, have now gone through the first five games of the season without a win, marking the first time this has happened in the English top flight.

City has a way to go before matching their longest winless streak; in 2022, they did not win any of their first seven matches, and in 1983-84, they went ten games without a victory.