Brighton and Monaco should serve as an example for Leicester City and OH Leuven.
Ohio Leuven’s 2025–2026 Pro League campaign has gotten off to a rather awful start. After three games, the team has conceded ten goals and is now at the bottom of the table. It seems like not much has changed, at least not yet, under new head coach David Hubert. Despite having excellent off-field facilities, the team has been doing poorly for a few seasons.
They share ownership with another club, just like other Pro League teams. Leicester City has returned to the Championship. There had previously been a transfer from the English club to OH Leuven. Since Nathaniel Opoku was the last to leave Leicester City for Belgium in 2022–2023, that has really slowed down.
Maybe when Opoku failed, the parties made the decision to work even more independently of one another. However, both of them could definitely go back down this path. Although OH Leuven shouldn’t be reduced to a Belgian “Leicester City,” they might serve as a way for the English team to be more aggressive in their hiring practices and provide younger players with a route to the first team outside of the U23 squad. The largest beneficiary of this in recent years was Kamal Sowah, who made an impression with OH Leuven and was then transferred to Club Brugge. Even though the 25-year-old has had some difficulties lately, it is still possible to benefit from the partnership between OH Leuven and Leicester City.
The recruitment of OH Leuven has been subpar in recent seasons, to be honest. Since Braga loaned Mario Gonzales to the team for the 2022–2023 season, they have unable to find a striker. Despite spending a good deal of money and bringing in forwards, none of them have reached double figures in a campaign. Additionally, the defense is always being added to each season, but it never seems to get any better, and this season seems just as bad as previous ones. Is it not possible to use the link between OH Leuven and Leicester City to address these two areas?
The team has a strong midfield and has had some success in recent years with the acquisition of Ezechiel Banzuzi, who ultimately left for RB Leipzig at a respectable price. But the Banzuzi acquisition is only one of many players who have come and gone; many of them arrived in the summer and left by the following transfer window. This window has already seen the addition of five players, and based on their current performances, a couple more might be required. There must be a player or two in Leicester’s U23 squad who could be of assistance.
It’s obvious that Hubert has a lot of work ahead of him, but he was aware of that beforehand. Even though it’s early, it seems doubtful that he will be there in a few months if things keep going this way. Since Marc Brys’ departure, numerous attempts have been made to move OH Leuven to their rightful place, but none have been successful. The hiring and general football strategy must eventually be examined to determine why it does not foster an atmosphere conducive to the success of any coaches.
Perhaps both parties might get back together and figure out how their partnership may work to their mutual advantage, especially since Leicester City has emerged from the Premier League twice in the last three years.
With Monaco, Cercle had discovered a method to accomplish the same thing without having to add more than a few players each season. Before players who are unlikely to earn a shot in Ligue 1 are offered the chance to spend a season in Belgium, both teams train together for periods throughout the summer. Others who made an impression were later sold by Monaco for a profit, while others returned to play for the first team. Félix Lemaréchal had a significant impact for Cercle two seasons ago before being sold by Monaco for €6 million upon his return to Strasbourg.
Karou Mitoma, for example, has greatly profited from his time in Belgium, and Union St. Gilloise has done the same with Brighton. Although Union has consistently insisted that they are a different organization from Brighton, their partnership has let players who are unable to obtain work permits in the UK to spend time honing their skills in Belgian football. This is advantageous for two teams that are eager to nurture new talent and are leaders in football recruitment in their respective nations.
Both parties demonstrate that it is possible to accomplish this without taking away the Belgian team’s identity, and Belgian teams are not compelled to use these players should they prove to be subpar. However, several of the starters for both Cercle and Union have been outstanding squad editions. Given the intense pressure to enter and stay in the Premier League, Leicester City must prioritize players who can make an immediate impact. They do, however, have a way to sign future players who might be talented but not yet ready thanks to OH Leuven.
It is obvious that something needs to change at OH Leuven. Considering the existing relationship, this might be the simplest modification to do.
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