Leicester City's ongoing squad reduction looks set to continue, with two more senior players reportedly edging towards the exit. According to separate reports, midfielder Hamza Choudhury and centre-back Harry Souttar could both be on their way out of the club before the window closes.

Derby County enter the race for Choudhury

The Leicester Mercury reports that Derby County have submitted a bid for Choudhury, with the Foxes said to be keen to move the 28-year-old on for wage-bill reasons. Choudhury, a Bangladesh international, has been at the club for several years but has found regular first-team football increasingly difficult to come by. Whether the bid meets Leicester's valuation is not yet clear, but the direction of travel appears fairly obvious: a League One club carrying the overheads of a recently relegated side has every incentive to shift players on elevated contracts.

It is worth keeping a sense of proportion here. A bid being submitted is not a deal being done, and the Mercury's report stops well short of saying the transfer is complete. Still, the fact that the club is reportedly receptive is telling. This is not the first departure to be discussed in recent weeks, and it almost certainly will not be the last.

Souttar attracting interest, but price could be the sticking point

Separately, Sky Sports reports that Wrexham are in talks to sign Australian international Harry Souttar, who has also attracted interest from other clubs, including Sheffield United. The 27-year-old centre-back is said to carry a £10m price tag, which is reportedly enough to put some suitors off. Whether Wrexham are prepared to go to that level remains to be seen.

For Leicester, the commercial logic is straightforward. A £10m fee would represent meaningful income for a club operating at the third tier, and Souttar, a full international who has appeared at a World Cup, is plainly not a player whose best years should be spent in League One. That is not a criticism; it is simply the reality of where the club finds itself after last season's relegation.

The broader picture at Leicester

Russell Martin's side have already seen players depart this summer as the club adjusts its finances to match its current level. The headline that Northampton have signed Opoku from Leicester was one signal; the reported discussions around Choudhury and Souttar are another. Trimming a squad assembled for the top two divisions down to something appropriate for the third tier is a slow, unglamorous process, and it rarely runs to a tidy schedule.

From a purely football perspective, neither player has featured prominently enough in Leicester's early-season plans to make their departure a crisis. Souttar has dealt with injury difficulties over the past year or so, and Choudhury's role has diminished. Martin will be aware, though, that stripping out squad depth mid-season carries its own risks, particularly over a League One campaign that stretches to 46 games and typically asks questions of every member of the group.

The club's owners have already been reported as looking for a sale of the club itself, so the pressure to reduce the wage bill is operating at every level of the organisation. In that context, two further departures would be entirely consistent with the summer's pattern. Whether both deals get over the line, and on what terms, is a matter for the days ahead. For now, these remain attributed reports rather than confirmed business.

Frequently asked

Is Hamza Choudhury leaving Leicester City?
According to the Leicester Mercury, Derby County have submitted a bid for Choudhury, with Leicester reportedly willing to let him go to reduce their wage bill. No deal has been confirmed at the time of writing.
Where is Harry Souttar going from Leicester?
Sky Sports reports that Wrexham are in talks to sign the Australian centre-back, though Sheffield United have also been linked. A reported £10m asking price is said to be putting some clubs off.
Why are Leicester selling players this summer?
After relegation to League One, Leicester are working to bring their wage bill in line with third-tier finances. Several players have already departed this summer as part of that process.