Leicester City have reached an agreement in principle to sign striker Ibrahim Diabate from Swedish top-flight club GAIS, but one major stumbling block remains.

The Foxes’ play-off hopes suffered another setback on Saturday when they were defeated 2-1 by Championship leaders Coventry City, with Jordan James’ early goal canceled out by scores from Ellis Simms and Haji Wright.

Marti Cifuentes’ side is currently just 13th in the second-tier table, six points behind the play-off places, while sixth-place Preston North End fell 1-0 at home to Derby County.

Leicester can reclaim their top-six status by defeating Wrexham on Tuesday, after the Red Dragons’ excellent record came to an end with a 2-1 loss to Norwich City.

Leicester City agree to recruit Ivorian attacker Ibrahim Diabate; however, Wrexham AFC pose a danger

The Foxes have not had a productive scorer since club hero Jamie Vardy left to join Serie A team Cremonese last summer.

Leicester’s highest scorer is midfielder James, who has nine goals in 23 league appearances, but forward Jordan Ayew has only five goals in the Championship this season, and fellow forward Patson Daka has just one.

Acquiring a goal-scoring striker this month would surely help the King Power Stadium club make a stronger push for the play-offs, especially now that Julian Carranza’s loan from Feyenoord has been canceled.

According to Swedish outlet Sportbladet, the Foxes have reached an agreement in principle with GAIS to sign Ibrahim Diabate, who scored 18 goals for his side in the Allsvenskan last season.

According to the Swedish newspaper, it is now up to Leicester manager Cifuentes, who has previously managed Hammarby, to decide whether to sanction a move for the centre-forward.

However, there is another threat in the form of Championship rivals Wrexham, with the source saying the 26-year-old Ivorian attacker is also on the radar of the North Wales club as they seek to enhance their own position before the February 2 deadline.

Alan Nixon reported earlier in January that the Red Dragons were lining up a European striker target worth around £14 million, but Diabate would be nowhere near that amount, implying that he could fall down Phil Parkinson’s priority list.

Ibrahim Diabate would be a gamble for Leicester City, but it’s worth it.

Diabate has little prior experience in English football, but his attacking exploits in Sweden’s top flight in 2025 demonstrate that he is an adept goalscorer.

The 26-year-old scored 18 goals and assisted five times in 29 Allsvenskan matches last season, helping GAIS finish third – and it’s apparent he played a key role.

Before joining his current club last summer, Diabate played for Vasteras SK in Sweden, as well as Mallorca’s B squad, Sevilla Atletico, and Atletico Madrileno in Spain.

His best goal-scoring season occurred in 2021/22, when he scored 24 goals in 37 games for Mallorca’s B squad, however that level is in no way comparable to the Championship.

The former Ivory Coast youth international has established himself as an attacking danger at the top level with GAIS, and he may be ready to produce in the second division.

Cifuentes’ experience in Sweden may help Diabate adjust to the Championship, and if the Foxes complete a deal for Diabate quickly, he could be available for forthcoming home games against Oxford United and Charlton Athletic.

However, given Wrexham’s interest, Leicester may need to close this deal swiftly if they truly want to bring the African striker to the King Power Stadium.