| Club: | Leicester City |
| Season: | 1996–97 |
| Manager: | Martin O'Neill |
| Chairman: | Tom Smeaton |
| Stadium: | Filbert Street |
| League: | Premiership |
| League Result: | 9th |
| Cup1: | FA Cup |
| Cup1 Result: | Fifth round |
| Cup2: | League Cup |
| Cup2 Result: | Winners |
| Cup3: | Player of the Year |
| Cup3 Result: | Simon Grayson |
| League Topscorer: | Claridge (11) |
| Season Topscorer: | Claridge (14) |
| Highest Attendance: | 21,134 vs Newcastle United (26 Oct 1996, Premier League) |
| Lowest Attendance: | 10,793 vs Scarborough (25 Sep 1996, League Cup) |
| Average Attendance: | 20,182 |
| Pattern B1: | _vneckwhite |
| Pattern Sh1: | _blanksides2 |
| Leftarm1: | 0000CC |
| Body1: | 0000CC |
| Rightarm1: | 0000CC |
| Shorts1: | 0000CC |
| Socks1: | 0000CC |
| Pattern B2: | _vneckonwhite |
| Leftarm2: | WHITE |
| Body2: | 0000CC |
| Rightarm2: | WHITE |
| Shorts2: | WHITE |
| Socks2: | WHITE |
| Pattern B3: | _vneckblack |
| Leftarm3: | FDD017 |
| Body3: | FDD017 |
| Rightarm3: | FDD017 |
| Shorts3: | FDD017 |
| Socks3: | FDD017 |
| Prevseason: | 1995–96 |
| Nextseason: | 1997–98 |
During the 1996–97 English football season, Leicester City F.C. competed in the FA Premier League (known as the FA Carling Premiership for sponsorship reasons).
Most observers had tipped Leicester for an immediate return to Division One, so Martin O'Neill's ultimate task for this season was to achieve survival for Leicester. However, he defied many of the pre-season predictions by finishing 9th in the table. Leicester's season was capped by a victory over Middlesbrough in the League Cup final to win their first major trophy for 33 years and their passport to the following season's UEFA Cup.[1]
See main article: 1996–97 FA Premier League.
See main article: 1996–97 FA Premier League.
See main article: 1996–97 FA Cup.
See main article: 1996–97 Football League Cup.
| Date | Pos. | Name | From | Fee | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 August 1996 | DF | Spencer Prior | Norwich City | £600,000[4] | |
| 17 August 1996 | GK |  Kasey Keller | Millwall | £900,000 | |
| 31 August 1996 | FW | Ian Marshall | Ipswich Town | £800,000 | |
| 1 September 1996 | MF | Sascha Lenhart |  Royal Antwerp | Free transfer | |
| 16 January 1997 | DF | Matt Elliott | Oxford United | £1,600,000 | |
| 17 February 1997 | DF | Robert Ullathorne |  Osasuna | £600,000 | |
| 28 February 1997 | MF | Steve Guppy | Port Vale | £850,000 |
| Date | Pos. | Name | To | Fee | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 August 1996 | MF | Mark Blake | Walsall | Free transfer | |
| 27 November 1996 | MF | Stuart Slater | Watford | Free transfer | |
| 14 March 1997 | GK | Paul Hyde | Leyton Orient | Free transfer | |
| 22 June 1997 | DF | Jamie Lawrence | Bradford City | £50,000 | |
| 22 June 1997 | DF | Neil Lewis | Peterborough United | £75,000 | |
| 26 June 1997 | DF | Simon Grayson | Aston Villa | £1,300,000 |
Transfers in: £5,350,000
Transfers out: £1,425,000
Total spending: £3,925,000