Where the club’s priorities lie as Ruud van Nistelrooy heads into his first transfer window as City manager and with new recruits needed to aid their relegation battle
The January transfer window is officially open and Leicester City manager Ruud van Nistelrooy has the chance to strengthen his squad for the first time.
The Dutchman has spent his first month in charge analysing the players at his disposal, working out what he feels City are missing and which positions need upgrading. Here’s a rundown of five positions the club could do this month.
At the halfway stage in the Premier League season, City have conceded the joint-highest number of goals and kept the joint-fewest number of clean sheets. Structurally they can be better, but it would also help their defensive record if they brought in a commanding new centre-back.
That seems to be the number one priority for the club this window. Van Nistelrooy has publicly expressed his happiness with his centre-back options, but the lack of changes in spite of the goals being conceded suggests he doesn’t see Wout Faes nor Caleb Okoli as potential starters.
Plenty of centre-backs have been linked to City, with Velez Sarsfield’s Valentin Gomez perhaps the most interesting name. The season in Argentina is over, he’s expressed his desire to continue his career in Europe, and is left-footed, giving City something they don’t currently have.
Van Nistelrooy hasn’t changed his full-backs either since taking charge. With Ricardo Pereira injured until at least March, it feels like they are short of options, albeit van Nistelrooy has started to use Hamza Choudhury as a right-back substitute.
Former manager Steve Cooper had wanted a new left-back, and was keen on Tottenham’s Ben Davies, but a new right-back may now be preferable. Victor Kristiansen’s form has picked up since van Nistelrooy’s arrival, while James Justin’s has not, albeit he continues to be exposed by some of the structural problems City have.
From a squad balance point of view, a new right-back would probably make sense too. Justin’s versatility means that even if he loses his space on the right, he can still vie with Kristiansen for a place on the left. The England international has said previously that he prefers to play on the left side.
For the three positions behind the striker, City have seven options: Bilal El Khannouss, Facundo Buonanotte, Stephy Mavididi, Jordan Ayew, Bobby De Cordova-Reid, Will Alves, and the currently injured Kasey McAteer. But with Abdul Fatawu out for the season, it still feels like they’re lacking something.
Van Nistelrooy has spoken of the “massive loss” Fatawu is and a temporary replacement may be sought in the form of a loan arrival for the second half of the season. City have plenty of players who like to drift inside and operate as number 10s, so what they need is a lightning-quick, tricky, direct winger who will stick to the flank and beat his full-back in one-on-ones.
They have Mavididi and Alves for the left, while McAteer plays on both sides. A right-sided option would help them get over Fatawu’s absence and give the attacking line greater balance.
City looked to sign a new striker in the summer, bidding more than £20m for Panathinaikos’s Fotis Ioannidis as part of their search. They ended up scrambling around on deadline day and brought in Odsonne Edouard on loan from Crystal Palace, a move that hasn’t paid off.
Van Nistelrooy has said it’s “on the table” to consider the Frenchman’s future, opening up a spot for a potential arrival. But anybody coming in would need to be different to what City have.
Jamie Vardy is doing a decent job this season and van Nistelrooy likes Patson Daka. If City are going to bring in a new third striker, even though van Nistelrooy only ever has two in his matchday squad, then they need to be a physical alternative, someone who can attack crosses and hold the ball up, rather than necessarily race onto through balls.
Brighton’s Evan Ferguson fits the bill but City can’t get him on loan unless they send Buonanotte back, and that’s extremely unlikely. Paying for Ferguson may be beyond City’s means, and may not be of interest to the Seagulls anyway.
If Edouard does go back and City free up their second Premier League loan spot, perhaps the romantic deal of a return for Dewsbury-Hall would be considered. It would certainly be a boost to fan morale.
The only issue is where he plays. Despite the strides he made in his attacking game in the Championship, City have El Khannouss and Buonanotte for those roles now, and it’s difficult to see Dewsbury-Hall ousting either of them.
He could play deeper. But Harry Winks provides a level of control City need and Boubakary Soumare is coming into a great bit of form. Then there’s Wilfred Ndidi, Oliver Skipp and Choudhury too.
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