Leicester City made a quick start to the transfer window but business has dried up in recent weeks, despite obvious holes in their squad as they prepare to take on the Premier League
For Steve Cooper to get his wish, it feels like Leicester City still require as many as five signings.
The City boss has requested that every position in his squad is full to the brim with potential starters, as it is at centre-back. It means nearly every other area of the team needs strengthening.
And there’s not much time to do it. Four new faces arrived at the King Power Stadium as City quickly set about their business in early July. Since then, the market has gone quiet, and they now have less than a month to go to get their deals done.
The priority is to improve the attack, but it seems City’s approach to bolstering their forward ranks is a broad one, and not dependent on seeking players for particular positions.
“It’s not as clear as saying we need this position, that position,” Cooper said. “We need certain profiles and certain additions of attributes we need to bring into the squad.”
Bobby De Cordova-Reid fits that bill. The Jamaica international can play wide, behind the striker, or up front. And other players have been moved around too in pre-season, Stephy Mavididi operating in a central role and Abdul Fatawu playing on the left.
City have been linked to Crystal Palace’s Jordan Ayew and he can also occupy all of those roles. Lots of the players City have emerged as suitors for do seem to be wingers primarily, suggesting ball-carrying will be an important attribute in Cooper’s side, perhaps as they look to get forward quickly from their own half, knowing they will be pushed deeper by their opponents this season.
But while there have been exciting links, no deals have come off. Juventus’s Matias Soule chose Roma over City, while it’s understood talks won’t progress beyond a preliminary stage for Arsenal’s Reiss Nelson, who sources say is out of the club’s budget.
Nevertheless, Cooper has admitted to wanting an attacking midfielder and to wanting a replacement for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. One new signing might be adequate to feel both tasks have been achieved.
City have been linked with two Celtic players in Matt O’Riley and Reo Hatate. It may be that Brendan Rodgers only lets one go, and Southampton and Atalanta’s battle for O’Riley could scupper City’s chances of getting either.
On the matter of a new striker, Cooper wasn’t quite so open. His answer suggested he would quite like a new forward, but was wary of upsetting his current group in case the club couldn’t provide what he wanted.
Away from the attack, to fulfil Cooper’s request, one more deep-lying midfielder and one more full-back would be needed. Somebody in the Harry Winks mould would give City plenty of depth at the base of the midfield, while a full-back who can tuck in to be a third centre-back would give greater scope of the likes of Ricardo Pereira and James Justin to venture forward.
As for outgoings, City are well-stocked at centre-backs and a departure of Harry Souttar, potentially to Sheffield United, is on the cards. There is loan interest in Ben Nelson too. If City get the signings they want further forward, then Kasey McAteer and Tom Cannon, also the subject of Championship interest, could be loaned out.
But the priority is building a squad to take that can achieve Premier League survival, and to do that, City need an attacking midfielder, a striker, a utility forward, a deep-lying midfielder, and a full-back. It could be a busy month.
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