Victor Kristiansen and Boubakary Soumare spent last season on loan but start on the same footing as every other player as the new manager works to finalise his squad
Steve Cooper’s blank slate is giving Boubakary Soumare and Victor Kristiansen a chance to earn a place in the Leicester City squad for the new season.
Both players spent last term out on loan, with Sevilla and Bologna respectively, but have returned to City this summer. While Cooper won’t have seen any of the pair as he watched back City’s Championship season, he says they start on the same footing as every other member of the squad.
Soumare earned rave reviews for his showings at Sevilla, becoming a key player in the base of their midfield. Reports from Spain said the La Liga side were keen to sign the Frenchman, but were unable to afford him.
Kristiansen was on loan at Bologna last season, helping them to qualify for the Champions League, but with the Italian side opting to turn elsewhere for a permanent deal. Still, Kristiansen’s form clinched him a spot in Denmark’s Euro 2024 squad.
Asked what the future holds for the pair, Cooper said: “It’s one of those typical situations where everybody comes back together, whether they’ve been out on loan or had injuries, and there’s been a change in manager with myself coming in. You’re looking at where players can fit in and what we want to go with in the squad.
“That’s where we’re at. I’m not judging anybody on what they did last season. Of course, you know the level of players and you’re looking at where they played and assess what you think of them as a player. But just because someone did or didn’t feature last year, it doesn’t mean it will be the case this year. That’s what we’re putting together as we speak.”
There is greater scope for both to feature this season in the set-up seen in City’s first few pre-season games. In midfield, Cooper looks to prefer a deep-lying pair, and so Soumare, who is a reported target for Monaco, could be a rival to Harry Winks, Wilfred Ndidi, and Hamza Choudhury. Although, based on City’s defeat to Palermo, he will need to learn not to occupy the same spots as Winks if he is to stay.
Kristiansen asked to leave City under Enzo Maresca because of his plan to use him on the left of a back three when in possession. The Dane wanted to be a flying full-back, bombing on to support the attack.
While it seems there will still be one full-back tucking in as part of Cooper’s plan, the other full-back will be getting forward regularly, acting as a winger when City are on the attack. That would suit Kristiansen, albeit there is tough competition for that role, with Ricardo Pereira and James Justin also available for Cooper to choose from.
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