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Leicester till I Die Blogger Lachlan Onions and take a look at all the latest Leicester City related transfer rumours
January Transfer Window 2021
Marcus Tavernier
POSITION: Left-Wing
AGE: 21
PRICE: No set Price
CURRENT CLUB: Middlesbrough
DATE LINKED: 9/01/2021
PROS: Looks like he has a bright future ahead of him. Tavernier is a versatile forward who can play on either
wing as well as in the No.10 role. Has good pace for a midfielder, not quite at the level of Harvey Barnes, but still
quick enough that he keeps defenders on their toes. He has already made over 100 appearances for Middlesbrough, with 12 goals and 12 assists to show for it. He has been a regular at England youth level with a total of 23 appearances in the U/19s and U/20s. Tavernier seems like a similar player to Marc Albrighton in the fact that he always puts in a good shift every game. Tavernier has a high defensive work rate for an attacking player. He seems to be one of the focal points of Middlesbrough in attack as he is often creating chances for the strikers with his excellent through balls.
CONS: He is still very young and at the moment at least, isn’t quite Premier League quality. This season he has just the six goal contributions from over 2,000 minutes of football. Compare that to Cengiz Under who is currently on the fringes of our squad and has 4 goal contributions from less than 600 minutes. I can’t see him reaching the
level that Barnes is performing at anytime soon so if we sign him, chances are he will be used as a sub rather than a starter. As for his passing ability, when he isn’t playing through balls into the attack, he is rather poor for a midfielder. His finishing is also a letdown for him and one of the things preventing him from making the step to the next level.
MY VERDICT: Considering Middlesbrough aren’t keen on letting him go whilst they are in a promotion battle, it would be worth keeping tabs on Tavernier for a while to see if his development continues. As he isn’t at the level to be starting or making too many appearances off the bench at the moment for us, but that could well change in the next 12 months or so.
RATING 6.5/10 – If he lives up to his potential, he’d be an excellent player, I just can’t see him breaking into our squad for the next 6-12 months at least.
Lachlan Onions
POSITION: Left-Wing
AGE: 21
PRICE: No set Price
CURRENT CLUB: Middlesbrough
DATE LINKED: 9/01/2021
PROS: Looks like he has a bright future ahead of him. Tavernier is a versatile forward who can play on either
wing as well as in the No.10 role. Has good pace for a midfielder, not quite at the level of Harvey Barnes, but still
quick enough that he keeps defenders on their toes. He has already made over 100 appearances for Middlesbrough, with 12 goals and 12 assists to show for it. He has been a regular at England youth level with a total of 23 appearances in the U/19s and U/20s. Tavernier seems like a similar player to Marc Albrighton in the fact that he always puts in a good shift every game. Tavernier has a high defensive work rate for an attacking player. He seems to be one of the focal points of Middlesbrough in attack as he is often creating chances for the strikers with his excellent through balls.
CONS: He is still very young and at the moment at least, isn’t quite Premier League quality. This season he has just the six goal contributions from over 2,000 minutes of football. Compare that to Cengiz Under who is currently on the fringes of our squad and has 4 goal contributions from less than 600 minutes. I can’t see him reaching the
level that Barnes is performing at anytime soon so if we sign him, chances are he will be used as a sub rather than a starter. As for his passing ability, when he isn’t playing through balls into the attack, he is rather poor for a midfielder. His finishing is also a letdown for him and one of the things preventing him from making the step to the next level.
MY VERDICT: Considering Middlesbrough aren’t keen on letting him go whilst they are in a promotion battle, it would be worth keeping tabs on Tavernier for a while to see if his development continues. As he isn’t at the level to be starting or making too many appearances off the bench at the moment for us, but that could well change in the next 12 months or so.
RATING 6.5/10 – If he lives up to his potential, he’d be an excellent player, I just can’t see him breaking into our squad for the next 6-12 months at least.
Lachlan Onions
Oleksandr Zinchenko
POSITION: Left-Back
AGE: 24
PRICE: £25
CURRENT CLUB: Manchester City
DATE LINKED: 9/01/2021
PROS: Oleksandr Zinchenko is a quality left-back without a doubt. He is also a left-footed defender which would be a nice addition when you consider the fact that Fuchs and Thomas are our only two left-footed defenders. He has a high attacking work-rate so would fit in well if Rodgers were to deploy a back 3/back 5 formation. He is a solid crosser of the ball and seems to be good with the ball at feet. He also has a decent shot on him for a defender. Obviously, he isn’t going to be able to score the worldies that we see from the likes of Maddison or Barnes, but if he has the ball on the edge of the box, he will be in with a chance of at least troubling the keeper. Zinchenko is also Premier League proven with over 40 appearances for Manchester City in the league and has also played a part in Manchester City’s Champions League campaigns over the last few years. He is a versatile player as well who can play in positions other than just left-back. Throughout his career he has played at left-wing, Right-wing as well as in the midfield.
CONS: This season he has made only the 2 appearances in the Premier League with Benjamin Mendy preferred in his position. In terms of his pace, he is slow for a modern fullback. He’s isn’t Wes Morgan or Christian Fuchs level slow; he just doesn’t have the same pace that the likes of Castagne, Chilwell, Justin and Ricardo have had for us in the fullback positions. We already have good depth in this position with James Justin, Timothy Castagne and Luke Thomas all able to play in left-back. When you consider the form that our current fullbacks have been in this season, I can’t see Zinchenko bringing something extra to the team and being an improvement on what we have.
MY VERDICT: I don’t think he is a player that we should be looking towards, we seem to have enough cover in this position and if we were to sign someone new at left-back in our current state, I believe it should be a big signing that will have a major difference on our squad
RATING 5.5/10 – By no means a bad player, just not what I believe we need at this point in time
Lachlan Onions
POSITION: Left-Back
AGE: 24
PRICE: £25
CURRENT CLUB: Manchester City
DATE LINKED: 9/01/2021
PROS: Oleksandr Zinchenko is a quality left-back without a doubt. He is also a left-footed defender which would be a nice addition when you consider the fact that Fuchs and Thomas are our only two left-footed defenders. He has a high attacking work-rate so would fit in well if Rodgers were to deploy a back 3/back 5 formation. He is a solid crosser of the ball and seems to be good with the ball at feet. He also has a decent shot on him for a defender. Obviously, he isn’t going to be able to score the worldies that we see from the likes of Maddison or Barnes, but if he has the ball on the edge of the box, he will be in with a chance of at least troubling the keeper. Zinchenko is also Premier League proven with over 40 appearances for Manchester City in the league and has also played a part in Manchester City’s Champions League campaigns over the last few years. He is a versatile player as well who can play in positions other than just left-back. Throughout his career he has played at left-wing, Right-wing as well as in the midfield.
CONS: This season he has made only the 2 appearances in the Premier League with Benjamin Mendy preferred in his position. In terms of his pace, he is slow for a modern fullback. He’s isn’t Wes Morgan or Christian Fuchs level slow; he just doesn’t have the same pace that the likes of Castagne, Chilwell, Justin and Ricardo have had for us in the fullback positions. We already have good depth in this position with James Justin, Timothy Castagne and Luke Thomas all able to play in left-back. When you consider the form that our current fullbacks have been in this season, I can’t see Zinchenko bringing something extra to the team and being an improvement on what we have.
MY VERDICT: I don’t think he is a player that we should be looking towards, we seem to have enough cover in this position and if we were to sign someone new at left-back in our current state, I believe it should be a big signing that will have a major difference on our squad
RATING 5.5/10 – By no means a bad player, just not what I believe we need at this point in time
Lachlan Onions
David Carmo
POSITION: Centre-Back
AGE: 21
PRICE: £35M
CURRENT CLUB: S.C. Braga
DATE LINKED: 21/12/2020
PROS: David Carmo is a giant in defence, standing at 6ft 5in. Carmo would definitely be a solid addition to our squad with his height when you consider our struggles from set pieces in the last 12 months. With Carmo we would be a threat from corners and also be able to defend set pieces a lot better than we have previously this season. He fits in with the type of player that Brendan Rodgers likes as well. He is young with a bright future ahead of him and is also competent on the ball, which is something that is expected of defenders in Rodgers’ setup. Has made numerous appearances for Portugal in his youth career. For his age he is very strong, in terms of his body strength he would most likely be ahead of our current defensive options, with Soyuncu the only one that is close to him. He also put up a quality performance against us in the Europa League group stage which is a sign that he has the ability to compete with Premier League players. Although we have strong depth in the defensive positions, if Rodgers intends on continuing the back 3 used than he is a player we should try and sign.
CONS: Carmo is still relatively inexperienced at senior level with only the 32 appearances for Braga. He also has a poor disciplinary record. This season he has already racked up 2 red cards in just 8 appearances in the league. He also picked up 13 yellow cards in 27 league games at youth level in the 2018/19 season.
MY VERDICT: Although his discipline is concerning, I’m sure under Brendan Rodgers and Kolo Toure, it can be fixed.
RATING 8.5/10 – Carmo could be another brilliant signing with loads of potential who I can see playing alongside Soyuncu and Fofana if we continue playing a back 3.
Lachlan Onions
POSITION: Centre-Back
AGE: 21
PRICE: £35M
CURRENT CLUB: S.C. Braga
DATE LINKED: 21/12/2020
PROS: David Carmo is a giant in defence, standing at 6ft 5in. Carmo would definitely be a solid addition to our squad with his height when you consider our struggles from set pieces in the last 12 months. With Carmo we would be a threat from corners and also be able to defend set pieces a lot better than we have previously this season. He fits in with the type of player that Brendan Rodgers likes as well. He is young with a bright future ahead of him and is also competent on the ball, which is something that is expected of defenders in Rodgers’ setup. Has made numerous appearances for Portugal in his youth career. For his age he is very strong, in terms of his body strength he would most likely be ahead of our current defensive options, with Soyuncu the only one that is close to him. He also put up a quality performance against us in the Europa League group stage which is a sign that he has the ability to compete with Premier League players. Although we have strong depth in the defensive positions, if Rodgers intends on continuing the back 3 used than he is a player we should try and sign.
CONS: Carmo is still relatively inexperienced at senior level with only the 32 appearances for Braga. He also has a poor disciplinary record. This season he has already racked up 2 red cards in just 8 appearances in the league. He also picked up 13 yellow cards in 27 league games at youth level in the 2018/19 season.
MY VERDICT: Although his discipline is concerning, I’m sure under Brendan Rodgers and Kolo Toure, it can be fixed.
RATING 8.5/10 – Carmo could be another brilliant signing with loads of potential who I can see playing alongside Soyuncu and Fofana if we continue playing a back 3.
Lachlan Onions
Ozan Kabak
POSITION: Centre-Back
AGE: 20
PRICE: £25M
CURRENT CLUB: Schalke
DATE LINKED: 3/01/2021
PROS: Another Turkish player we’ve been linked to. Ozan Kabak is another player with bounds of potential. Much like Soyuncu, he is quick and can track back against fast strikers. He is strong and is good all-round in defence. In terms of his ability on the ball, he is excellent at dribbling for a defender and his passing isn’t a letdown either. Kabak also has Champions League experience from his time at Galatasaray. Kabak has made a meteoric rise since breaking into the Galatasaray line-up in the 2018/19 season. The way he is progressing, you wouldn’t put in past him developing into one of the top central defenders in Europe either.
CONS: Kabak has been a part of the Schalke side that sits last on the Bundesliga table with 4 points from 14 games. During this time, they have conceded more goals than anyone in their league with 39 goals against them. He is also relatively unexperienced with only the 72 senior appearances to date. Obviously, this is to be expected considering he is of such a young age, but it does mean that there is an element of risk involved with making.
MY VERDICT: Definitely worth the punt. Ozan Kabak has the potential to become a better defender than Caglar Soyuncu and we could be set for the future in defence if we kept a hold of him and Wesley Fofana. Although 25M is pricey, he is definitely worth the price-tag
RATING 8/10 – We face tough competition from both Crystal Palace and Liverpool for his signature, but hopefully the lure of our new training complex and the opportunity to play alongside fellow countryman Caglar Soyuncu is enough of an incentive for him to want to join the Foxes.
Lachlan Onions
POSITION: Centre-Back
AGE: 20
PRICE: £25M
CURRENT CLUB: Schalke
DATE LINKED: 3/01/2021
PROS: Another Turkish player we’ve been linked to. Ozan Kabak is another player with bounds of potential. Much like Soyuncu, he is quick and can track back against fast strikers. He is strong and is good all-round in defence. In terms of his ability on the ball, he is excellent at dribbling for a defender and his passing isn’t a letdown either. Kabak also has Champions League experience from his time at Galatasaray. Kabak has made a meteoric rise since breaking into the Galatasaray line-up in the 2018/19 season. The way he is progressing, you wouldn’t put in past him developing into one of the top central defenders in Europe either.
CONS: Kabak has been a part of the Schalke side that sits last on the Bundesliga table with 4 points from 14 games. During this time, they have conceded more goals than anyone in their league with 39 goals against them. He is also relatively unexperienced with only the 72 senior appearances to date. Obviously, this is to be expected considering he is of such a young age, but it does mean that there is an element of risk involved with making.
MY VERDICT: Definitely worth the punt. Ozan Kabak has the potential to become a better defender than Caglar Soyuncu and we could be set for the future in defence if we kept a hold of him and Wesley Fofana. Although 25M is pricey, he is definitely worth the price-tag
RATING 8/10 – We face tough competition from both Crystal Palace and Liverpool for his signature, but hopefully the lure of our new training complex and the opportunity to play alongside fellow countryman Caglar Soyuncu is enough of an incentive for him to want to join the Foxes.
Lachlan Onions
Kelechi Chibueze
POSITION: Goalkeeper
AGE: 17
PRICE: Free
CURRENT CLUB: Without a club, currently on trial with LCFC u/18s
DATE LINKED: 4/01/2021
PROS: This one I had to do some research on. He looks like a very hot prospect, having only turned 17 a few weeks ago, this guy has his whole career ahead of him. He is a former Chelsea academy player, spending most of the last 10 years at Stamford Bridge, and has also represented England at youth level. From his short time with the u/18 Foxes, he has earnt praise from the coaching staff who have reportedly had an interest in him for the last 12 months. By the time Kasper Schmeichel retires we can expect Chibueze to be at an age where he can compete for a spot in the line-up. Will be an improvement for the u/18 squad who have struggled defensively this season recording two eight-goal losses and a seven-goal loss to Brighton and Hove Albion.
CONS: Not going to be a signing that will have an impact on our squad for at least a few years. There is also the chance he could not live up to his potential and end up being a goalkeeper we loan around Europe for a few years before eventually leaving permanently.
MY VERDICT: Worth going for. If he lives up to all the hype that is being made about him, he could become a great successor for Kasper Schmeichel. If not, then it isn’t the end of the world.
RATING 5/10 –Obviously not the biggest transfer or the sort of player us fans would have been hoping for when the window opened, but it is a start at least.
Lachlan Onions
POSITION: Goalkeeper
AGE: 17
PRICE: Free
CURRENT CLUB: Without a club, currently on trial with LCFC u/18s
DATE LINKED: 4/01/2021
PROS: This one I had to do some research on. He looks like a very hot prospect, having only turned 17 a few weeks ago, this guy has his whole career ahead of him. He is a former Chelsea academy player, spending most of the last 10 years at Stamford Bridge, and has also represented England at youth level. From his short time with the u/18 Foxes, he has earnt praise from the coaching staff who have reportedly had an interest in him for the last 12 months. By the time Kasper Schmeichel retires we can expect Chibueze to be at an age where he can compete for a spot in the line-up. Will be an improvement for the u/18 squad who have struggled defensively this season recording two eight-goal losses and a seven-goal loss to Brighton and Hove Albion.
CONS: Not going to be a signing that will have an impact on our squad for at least a few years. There is also the chance he could not live up to his potential and end up being a goalkeeper we loan around Europe for a few years before eventually leaving permanently.
MY VERDICT: Worth going for. If he lives up to all the hype that is being made about him, he could become a great successor for Kasper Schmeichel. If not, then it isn’t the end of the world.
RATING 5/10 –Obviously not the biggest transfer or the sort of player us fans would have been hoping for when the window opened, but it is a start at least.
Lachlan Onions
Summer Transfer Window 2020
Cengiz Under
POSITION: Right Winger
AGE: 23
PRICE: £25M
CURRENT CLUB: Roma
DATE LINKED: 12/09/2020
PROS: Under is a left-footed winger so he can fill that void on the right side of the pitch that we have had since Mahrez left. He is a great dribbler of the ball so we can expect him to be able to break through defences that play deep. He is a great finisher which is another quality that we have missed from our wingers in recent seasons gone by. Under doesn’t quite have the same pace that we see from the likes of Demarai Gray, but whenever he has the ball you immediately expect something to occur whether it be a dribble around a defender, or a shot from the edge of the box. When cutting inside from the right he has a similar threat to what you would see from Arjen Robben in his prime when having a shot on the edge of the box.
CONS: Under has been injury prone in the past which has limited the amount of games he has been able to play in the last few years. Last season he made only the 23 appearances across all competitions. Throughout his career, a large amount of games he has not played the full 90 minutes and many of his appearances have been coming on from the bench. This is a slight concern since the Premier League can be somewhat of a step up in terms of required fitness levels. That been said, that is what substitutes are for after all.
MY VERDICT: Considering we are lacking in threat from the wings, this is a signing we need to make. The fact it looks like it will start as a loan with an option to buy as well makes this more enticing as it reduces the risk of signing a player from another league, however I personally don’t believe he will be a flop.
RATING 7.5/10 – Cengiz Under is a player that we will need to sign if we want to keep a hold of our top 6 spot and battle for silverware this season
Lachlan Onions
POSITION: Right Winger
AGE: 23
PRICE: £25M
CURRENT CLUB: Roma
DATE LINKED: 12/09/2020
PROS: Under is a left-footed winger so he can fill that void on the right side of the pitch that we have had since Mahrez left. He is a great dribbler of the ball so we can expect him to be able to break through defences that play deep. He is a great finisher which is another quality that we have missed from our wingers in recent seasons gone by. Under doesn’t quite have the same pace that we see from the likes of Demarai Gray, but whenever he has the ball you immediately expect something to occur whether it be a dribble around a defender, or a shot from the edge of the box. When cutting inside from the right he has a similar threat to what you would see from Arjen Robben in his prime when having a shot on the edge of the box.
CONS: Under has been injury prone in the past which has limited the amount of games he has been able to play in the last few years. Last season he made only the 23 appearances across all competitions. Throughout his career, a large amount of games he has not played the full 90 minutes and many of his appearances have been coming on from the bench. This is a slight concern since the Premier League can be somewhat of a step up in terms of required fitness levels. That been said, that is what substitutes are for after all.
MY VERDICT: Considering we are lacking in threat from the wings, this is a signing we need to make. The fact it looks like it will start as a loan with an option to buy as well makes this more enticing as it reduces the risk of signing a player from another league, however I personally don’t believe he will be a flop.
RATING 7.5/10 – Cengiz Under is a player that we will need to sign if we want to keep a hold of our top 6 spot and battle for silverware this season
Lachlan Onions
Jonathan Tah
POSITION: Centre-Back
AGE: 24
PRICE: £35M
CURRENT CLUB: Bayer Leverkusen
DATE LINKED: 11/09/2020
PROS: Jonathan Tah is one of the most promising centre-backs in the world. He tall enough and big enough to be able to boss any Striker around, this is evident in games against Bayern Munich when he has managed to keep Lewandowski scoreless. Something we don’t see very often these days. Tah has experience in the Champions League and Europa League. At the age of 24 he still has many years ahead of him.
Based off his current performances he would be good enough to push either Evans or Soyuncu out of the starting 11. Tah is great when it comes to passing as well, he has proven he can play both the simple short passes as well as long progressive passes to help the attack. He is proven to be a disciplined player as well with just the 3 sending offs in his 250-game career so far.
CONS: For once I am struggling to find many cons to do with a player that we have been linked with. The only one is that he has played his whole career in Germany so it may be a possible challenge for him to move to the Premier League.
MY VERDICT: Jonathan Tah is a player who I have always been interested in since he burst onto the scene with Hamburg. I believe he would be a great fit for our side and help our push for the top 6 again this season. Although 35M is a hefty sum to pay for a defender of what is still quite a young age, I believe this would be a worthwhile investment.
RATING 10/10 – If we had a backline of Castagne, Soyuncu, Tah and Ricardo we would have in my eyes, one of the best all-round defences in the league.
Lachlan Onions
POSITION: Centre-Back
AGE: 24
PRICE: £35M
CURRENT CLUB: Bayer Leverkusen
DATE LINKED: 11/09/2020
PROS: Jonathan Tah is one of the most promising centre-backs in the world. He tall enough and big enough to be able to boss any Striker around, this is evident in games against Bayern Munich when he has managed to keep Lewandowski scoreless. Something we don’t see very often these days. Tah has experience in the Champions League and Europa League. At the age of 24 he still has many years ahead of him.
Based off his current performances he would be good enough to push either Evans or Soyuncu out of the starting 11. Tah is great when it comes to passing as well, he has proven he can play both the simple short passes as well as long progressive passes to help the attack. He is proven to be a disciplined player as well with just the 3 sending offs in his 250-game career so far.
CONS: For once I am struggling to find many cons to do with a player that we have been linked with. The only one is that he has played his whole career in Germany so it may be a possible challenge for him to move to the Premier League.
MY VERDICT: Jonathan Tah is a player who I have always been interested in since he burst onto the scene with Hamburg. I believe he would be a great fit for our side and help our push for the top 6 again this season. Although 35M is a hefty sum to pay for a defender of what is still quite a young age, I believe this would be a worthwhile investment.
RATING 10/10 – If we had a backline of Castagne, Soyuncu, Tah and Ricardo we would have in my eyes, one of the best all-round defences in the league.
Lachlan Onions
Wesley Forfana
POSITION: Centre-Back
AGE: 19
PRICE: £27M
CURRENT CLUB: Saint-Etienne
DATE LINKED: 6/08/2020
PROS: Hot prospect and at the age of 19 is already a starter for his current club. He is an intelligent ball-playing centre-back and is versatile enough to fill in at defensive midfield from time to time. The way he is playing now, he would not be far off breaking into our first eleven. I would say his current ability is level to Wes Morgan’s, the difference being, this guy has at least another 15 years in him. Although only 19, he is still very much a physical presence on the pitch and is strong enough to take it to the opposition. Forfana could one day be at a level that would be up there with some of the best defenders in the league.
CONS: Still very young and the Premier League is quite the step up both physically and in the quality of opposition. 27M is quite the punt for a player who has only been playing regularly for one season as well. He probably is not going to be an immediate starter for us yet, so we can’t expect him to be a massive improvement in the short-term, long-term may be a different story, however.
MY VERDICT: I like the looks of him from the small amount I’ve seen from him. Forfana seems like a quality all-round defender. A player who we should go out of the way to bring to the King Power Stadium. Considering most of our centre-backs asides from Soyuncu are getting old, this is the sort of player that we need in our squad to help with the additional fixtures and for the future.
RATING 9/10 – Normally I’m not too confident about bringing youngsters from other leagues in but this one I am sure would be a great signing.
Lachlan Onions
POSITION: Centre-Back
AGE: 19
PRICE: £27M
CURRENT CLUB: Saint-Etienne
DATE LINKED: 6/08/2020
PROS: Hot prospect and at the age of 19 is already a starter for his current club. He is an intelligent ball-playing centre-back and is versatile enough to fill in at defensive midfield from time to time. The way he is playing now, he would not be far off breaking into our first eleven. I would say his current ability is level to Wes Morgan’s, the difference being, this guy has at least another 15 years in him. Although only 19, he is still very much a physical presence on the pitch and is strong enough to take it to the opposition. Forfana could one day be at a level that would be up there with some of the best defenders in the league.
CONS: Still very young and the Premier League is quite the step up both physically and in the quality of opposition. 27M is quite the punt for a player who has only been playing regularly for one season as well. He probably is not going to be an immediate starter for us yet, so we can’t expect him to be a massive improvement in the short-term, long-term may be a different story, however.
MY VERDICT: I like the looks of him from the small amount I’ve seen from him. Forfana seems like a quality all-round defender. A player who we should go out of the way to bring to the King Power Stadium. Considering most of our centre-backs asides from Soyuncu are getting old, this is the sort of player that we need in our squad to help with the additional fixtures and for the future.
RATING 9/10 – Normally I’m not too confident about bringing youngsters from other leagues in but this one I am sure would be a great signing.
Lachlan Onions
Callum McGregor
POSITION: Central Midfielder
AGE: 27
PRICE: £20m
CURRENT CLUB: Celtic
DATE LINKED: 31/08/2020
PROS: Great attacking threat with the ability to both assist and score goals. He has great skills on the ball and is comfortable using both feet. McGregor is quick on the ball as well so a useful player to have when on the counter. In terms of his ability, he is solid across the board, like a true centre-mid should be. Callum McGregor is a similar player to James Maddison so he would be a good backup for Maddison if he ever got injured. McGregor is familiar with Rodgers’ play style from his time at Celtic. McGregor has both Champions League and Europa League experience, having played European football in every season since 2014. He is also comfortable playing on both wings with a decent amount of games played in those positions in his career.
CONS: He has only played in the Scottish Premiership so hard to know if he’ll cut it in the Premier League. Also isn’t really an improvement on any of the central midfielders we already have as we have the likes of Maddison, Tielemans and Praet who are all top-quality players.
MY VERDICT: Entering the peak of his career now at 27 so would be the best time to make a move for him. As it stands, I can’t see him setting the League on fire if he were to move here, however he still is a very decent player, nonetheless. Overall, I’d say he would be a good signing to make when you consider our squad size and the addition of Europa League to contend with this season as well.
RATING 6/10 – Not the best player to be linked with, but not the worst either. Would be a healthy addition to the squad and a good impact sub at least.
Lachlan Onions
POSITION: Central Midfielder
AGE: 27
PRICE: £20m
CURRENT CLUB: Celtic
DATE LINKED: 31/08/2020
PROS: Great attacking threat with the ability to both assist and score goals. He has great skills on the ball and is comfortable using both feet. McGregor is quick on the ball as well so a useful player to have when on the counter. In terms of his ability, he is solid across the board, like a true centre-mid should be. Callum McGregor is a similar player to James Maddison so he would be a good backup for Maddison if he ever got injured. McGregor is familiar with Rodgers’ play style from his time at Celtic. McGregor has both Champions League and Europa League experience, having played European football in every season since 2014. He is also comfortable playing on both wings with a decent amount of games played in those positions in his career.
CONS: He has only played in the Scottish Premiership so hard to know if he’ll cut it in the Premier League. Also isn’t really an improvement on any of the central midfielders we already have as we have the likes of Maddison, Tielemans and Praet who are all top-quality players.
MY VERDICT: Entering the peak of his career now at 27 so would be the best time to make a move for him. As it stands, I can’t see him setting the League on fire if he were to move here, however he still is a very decent player, nonetheless. Overall, I’d say he would be a good signing to make when you consider our squad size and the addition of Europa League to contend with this season as well.
RATING 6/10 – Not the best player to be linked with, but not the worst either. Would be a healthy addition to the squad and a good impact sub at least.
Lachlan Onions
Tammy Abraham
POSITION: Striker
AGE: 22
PRICE: £40m+
CURRENT CLUB: Chelsea
DATE LINKED: 29/08/2020
PROS: Young striker with a very good future. He is tall enough to be an aerial threat as well, which is something we have lacked for quite some time. Abraham bagged himself 15 goals in his second season in the Premier League last year. Topped off as well by a few goals in the Champions League to go with. He also happens to be the youngest ever player to score a Premier League hattrick. Each season Abraham has improved on his last, that is if you consider 15 goals at the top level better than 25 at Championship level. He is also fairly quick as well so would be a nice addition when you consider that Vardy is by no means getting any faster at the age of 33.
CONS: In terms of Premier League experience; he has only got the two seasons under the belt. I would say that a price tag upwards of 40M is a bit excessive, especially since if rumours are true, we have made our first signing for 24M. I may be a bit harsh in being critical of his on-the-ball skills as he is a player who often loses possession in the attacking third. However, after seeing the amount of games we threw away at the end of last season due to us being poor in the attacking third, I am not super keen on us getting a player that’ll be making similar mistakes to what our players were making in the back half of last season.
MY VERDICT: If there are no other clubs looking to sign him on a permanent deal, I would like to see how he goes for one more season before deciding on whether or not to bring him in. I think he has loads of natural skill, I more so just hope he doesn’t go back to what he was like when on loan with Swansea for his first season in the Premier League. There is the potential there for him to fill Vardy’s boots when it’s time for him to retire as well.
RATING 7/10 – If we can somehow negotiate a deal worth less than £40M I would be happy but realistically can’t see that happening since we just sold Chilwell to Chelsea for close to £50M.
Lachlan Onions
POSITION: Striker
AGE: 22
PRICE: £40m+
CURRENT CLUB: Chelsea
DATE LINKED: 29/08/2020
PROS: Young striker with a very good future. He is tall enough to be an aerial threat as well, which is something we have lacked for quite some time. Abraham bagged himself 15 goals in his second season in the Premier League last year. Topped off as well by a few goals in the Champions League to go with. He also happens to be the youngest ever player to score a Premier League hattrick. Each season Abraham has improved on his last, that is if you consider 15 goals at the top level better than 25 at Championship level. He is also fairly quick as well so would be a nice addition when you consider that Vardy is by no means getting any faster at the age of 33.
CONS: In terms of Premier League experience; he has only got the two seasons under the belt. I would say that a price tag upwards of 40M is a bit excessive, especially since if rumours are true, we have made our first signing for 24M. I may be a bit harsh in being critical of his on-the-ball skills as he is a player who often loses possession in the attacking third. However, after seeing the amount of games we threw away at the end of last season due to us being poor in the attacking third, I am not super keen on us getting a player that’ll be making similar mistakes to what our players were making in the back half of last season.
MY VERDICT: If there are no other clubs looking to sign him on a permanent deal, I would like to see how he goes for one more season before deciding on whether or not to bring him in. I think he has loads of natural skill, I more so just hope he doesn’t go back to what he was like when on loan with Swansea for his first season in the Premier League. There is the potential there for him to fill Vardy’s boots when it’s time for him to retire as well.
RATING 7/10 – If we can somehow negotiate a deal worth less than £40M I would be happy but realistically can’t see that happening since we just sold Chilwell to Chelsea for close to £50M.
Lachlan Onions
Nicolas Nkoulou
POSITION: Centre Back
AGE: 30
PRICE: £10-15M
CURRENT CLUB: Torino
DATE LINKED: 01/09/2020
PROS: Absolute gun of a centre back with loads of experience. Has played for a range of good clubs in his time. In terms of defensive ability, he would be better than our current main options of Soyuncu and Evans. At his current club, Torino, he won their player of the season only a couple of years ago as well. On the field he seems to have a similar presence to Huth and Morgan during the glory days of our Premier League triumph. Another positive is that Nkoulou also has some European experience from his days at Lyon and Marseille. Considering he also has just the one-year left on his contract, we may also be able to get him on the cheap if Torino want to cash-in and not risk losing him on a free next year.
CONS: In terms of cons, the main one is his age, he is now 30 so he would only be a short-term signing if we brought him in. He has yet to play in the Premier League so he may take some time to adjust, that been said he is experienced enough that it shouldn’t take that long, hopefully.
MY VERDICT: I’ve been a fan of this guy for a little while now, I think he would bolster our squad which is lacking depth in the defensive department. He has the quality that matches our ambitions as a club and would be a good piece of business if we can bring him in for less than 20M.
RATING 8/10 – A player I could genuinely get around us signing. If you thought Jonny Evans was a great signing by bringing in a quality player with experience, wait till you see what Nkoulou would be like in Leicester colours.
Lachlan Onions
POSITION: Centre Back
AGE: 30
PRICE: £10-15M
CURRENT CLUB: Torino
DATE LINKED: 01/09/2020
PROS: Absolute gun of a centre back with loads of experience. Has played for a range of good clubs in his time. In terms of defensive ability, he would be better than our current main options of Soyuncu and Evans. At his current club, Torino, he won their player of the season only a couple of years ago as well. On the field he seems to have a similar presence to Huth and Morgan during the glory days of our Premier League triumph. Another positive is that Nkoulou also has some European experience from his days at Lyon and Marseille. Considering he also has just the one-year left on his contract, we may also be able to get him on the cheap if Torino want to cash-in and not risk losing him on a free next year.
CONS: In terms of cons, the main one is his age, he is now 30 so he would only be a short-term signing if we brought him in. He has yet to play in the Premier League so he may take some time to adjust, that been said he is experienced enough that it shouldn’t take that long, hopefully.
MY VERDICT: I’ve been a fan of this guy for a little while now, I think he would bolster our squad which is lacking depth in the defensive department. He has the quality that matches our ambitions as a club and would be a good piece of business if we can bring him in for less than 20M.
RATING 8/10 – A player I could genuinely get around us signing. If you thought Jonny Evans was a great signing by bringing in a quality player with experience, wait till you see what Nkoulou would be like in Leicester colours.
Lachlan Onions
Bryan Mbeumo
POSITION: Right Wing
AGE: 21
PRICE: £20-25M
CURRENT CLUB: Brentford
DATE LINKED: 27/08/2020
PROS: Having only turned 21 a few weeks ago Mbeumo has plenty of years ahead of him. He was a part of the lethal “BMW” front 3 for Brentford last season, scoring 16 goals and making 7 assists in the Championship last season. Due to the fact we don’t have a specialist right-winger, Mbeumo would fill that void. He is an excellent dribbler of the ball so you can bet that he will be able to cause many issues for opposing defences. Having only seen him play a couple of times, he looks like the sort of player that can create something out of almost nothing.
CONS: Mbeumo has so far only spent the one season in England and only made the four appearances in any top tier competition in Europe, which came in the Ligue 1. His valuation although not explicitly stated by Brentford would most likely be in the same region as Benrahma and Watkins who were both around 20M or more. Personally, I would consider it a risk to pay anywhere in the area of £25M for someone with little-to-no top-level experience. Mbeumo also seemed largely one-footed from what I’ve seen from him. Something that doesn’t fit Rodgers style with our current wingers expected to be competent on both sides.
MY VERDICT: Although I feel the likes of Said Benrahma or Ollie Watkins would be better signings, Mbeumo would still be very solid, nonetheless. I do still have my question marks as to whether he can make it in the Premier League, perhaps a loan deal with option-to-buy like what we did with Tielemans would be a good idea. There is no doubt however that he has loads of natural talent, it’s just a question as to whether he can take it to the next level.
RATING 7/10 – Would be a good addition to our side with the extra games due to Europa League and could even be Leicester’s next Mahrez if things go well
Lachlan Onions
POSITION: Right Wing
AGE: 21
PRICE: £20-25M
CURRENT CLUB: Brentford
DATE LINKED: 27/08/2020
PROS: Having only turned 21 a few weeks ago Mbeumo has plenty of years ahead of him. He was a part of the lethal “BMW” front 3 for Brentford last season, scoring 16 goals and making 7 assists in the Championship last season. Due to the fact we don’t have a specialist right-winger, Mbeumo would fill that void. He is an excellent dribbler of the ball so you can bet that he will be able to cause many issues for opposing defences. Having only seen him play a couple of times, he looks like the sort of player that can create something out of almost nothing.
CONS: Mbeumo has so far only spent the one season in England and only made the four appearances in any top tier competition in Europe, which came in the Ligue 1. His valuation although not explicitly stated by Brentford would most likely be in the same region as Benrahma and Watkins who were both around 20M or more. Personally, I would consider it a risk to pay anywhere in the area of £25M for someone with little-to-no top-level experience. Mbeumo also seemed largely one-footed from what I’ve seen from him. Something that doesn’t fit Rodgers style with our current wingers expected to be competent on both sides.
MY VERDICT: Although I feel the likes of Said Benrahma or Ollie Watkins would be better signings, Mbeumo would still be very solid, nonetheless. I do still have my question marks as to whether he can make it in the Premier League, perhaps a loan deal with option-to-buy like what we did with Tielemans would be a good idea. There is no doubt however that he has loads of natural talent, it’s just a question as to whether he can take it to the next level.
RATING 7/10 – Would be a good addition to our side with the extra games due to Europa League and could even be Leicester’s next Mahrez if things go well
Lachlan Onions
Luis Suarez
POSITION: Striker
AGE: 33
PRICE: £25M
CURRENT CLUB: Barcelona
DATE LINKED: 28/08/2020
PROS: Where to begin? Suarez has proven himself as one of the best strikers of the current era. With 82 goals for Liverpool and a further 198 for Barcelona, Luis Suarez is a goal addict. It was not too long ago that he would have been considered in the top 5 players on the planet at the time. Even now in the twilight of his career he has still proven that he still has it. For that we look no further back than December last year when Barcelona played Mallorca and Suarez scored one of the most incredible chipped-goals I’ve ever seen. In what was one of his worst seasons in recent years Suarez managed ONLY 21 goals in 36 games.
To put that into perspective, Vardy scored 23 goals in 40 appearances last season. Suarez would also suit the possession-based style of play that Rodgers tends to employ, as he can be often seen drifting in and out of pockets of space in and around the 18-yard box, creating opportunities for himself, and other attackers. Signing a player like Luis Suarez would also be a great move in terms of brand exposure. Having a player with his following and success would bring bounds of attention and interest to the club.
CONS: His age is a definite cause for concern. As he enters the final years of his career, he has proven to be more injury-prone than before. We do have to wonder how many years Luis has in him, and whether he would be able to play long enough to justify his price. Along with what is rumoured to be a 25M asking fee from Barcelona, we must consider his high wages. Even if he were to take some sort of a pay-cut, you can still expect him to be costing the club a large sum of money on a weekly basis.
MY VERDICT: I’m sure many fans could justify better ways to spend money on players who we can expect to be at the club for years to come, but the opportunity to sign a world-class player doesn’t come around often. Plus, the thought of a Vardy-Suarez strike partnership is something far too good to resist. This guy scores goals wherever he goes, and I doubt that would change if he joined Leicester.
RATING 9/10 – Although deep-down I doubt this transfer would ever happen; I do really hope these rumours turn out to be true. Even at 33 I am almost certain that he would have a massive impact on the squad and help further our push for silverware next season.
Lachlan Onions
POSITION: Striker
AGE: 33
PRICE: £25M
CURRENT CLUB: Barcelona
DATE LINKED: 28/08/2020
PROS: Where to begin? Suarez has proven himself as one of the best strikers of the current era. With 82 goals for Liverpool and a further 198 for Barcelona, Luis Suarez is a goal addict. It was not too long ago that he would have been considered in the top 5 players on the planet at the time. Even now in the twilight of his career he has still proven that he still has it. For that we look no further back than December last year when Barcelona played Mallorca and Suarez scored one of the most incredible chipped-goals I’ve ever seen. In what was one of his worst seasons in recent years Suarez managed ONLY 21 goals in 36 games.
To put that into perspective, Vardy scored 23 goals in 40 appearances last season. Suarez would also suit the possession-based style of play that Rodgers tends to employ, as he can be often seen drifting in and out of pockets of space in and around the 18-yard box, creating opportunities for himself, and other attackers. Signing a player like Luis Suarez would also be a great move in terms of brand exposure. Having a player with his following and success would bring bounds of attention and interest to the club.
CONS: His age is a definite cause for concern. As he enters the final years of his career, he has proven to be more injury-prone than before. We do have to wonder how many years Luis has in him, and whether he would be able to play long enough to justify his price. Along with what is rumoured to be a 25M asking fee from Barcelona, we must consider his high wages. Even if he were to take some sort of a pay-cut, you can still expect him to be costing the club a large sum of money on a weekly basis.
MY VERDICT: I’m sure many fans could justify better ways to spend money on players who we can expect to be at the club for years to come, but the opportunity to sign a world-class player doesn’t come around often. Plus, the thought of a Vardy-Suarez strike partnership is something far too good to resist. This guy scores goals wherever he goes, and I doubt that would change if he joined Leicester.
RATING 9/10 – Although deep-down I doubt this transfer would ever happen; I do really hope these rumours turn out to be true. Even at 33 I am almost certain that he would have a massive impact on the squad and help further our push for silverware next season.
Lachlan Onions
Timothy Castagne
POSITION: Right back/Left back
AGE: 24
PRICE: £18M
CURRENT CLUB: Atalanta
DATE LINKED: 27/08/2020
PROS: Castagne has played both on the right and left side of defence, making him a handy player should injuries or suspensions ever plague the club. Much like his teammate Robin Gosens, he can play up and down the pitch at any given time. Each year Castagne seems to be making massive improvements in his game. Long gone are his days of being a very average centre-back for Genk. He also has experience in both the Europa League and Champions League so would be a handy player to have in the dressing rooms for our European games next season.
CONS: Although often playing the modern fullback role of box-to-box helping in defence and attack, he only managed the 2 goals and 3 assists last season. Obviously, goals and assists aren’t the main roles of a defender, but it is important to note that as we ideally want a player who is better than what we previously had with Chilwell. Castagne’s defensive abilities are by no means poor, but they aren’t ground-breaking either. Although competent at left back, it isn’t his primary role and is more suited to right back, and considering that we already have Ricardo Pereira who is one of the best fullbacks in the league, I can’t see him playing in his primary position often.
MY VERDICT: Would be a decent player although wouldn’t be a huge improvement on what we already have, particularly when James Justin and Luke Thomas are both showing good signs of potential. I wouldn’t mind him if he was signed as a backup player, however I feel as though there are other clubs that would be eyeing him off as a first-choice option, so that would reduce the chances of us signing him.
RATING 6.5/10 –By no means a bad player to have, although considering the fee we received from Chilwell, I would hope we could someone with the quality to be a weekly starter for the club, which sadly isn’t what I believe Castagne would be.
Lachlan Onions
POSITION: Right back/Left back
AGE: 24
PRICE: £18M
CURRENT CLUB: Atalanta
DATE LINKED: 27/08/2020
PROS: Castagne has played both on the right and left side of defence, making him a handy player should injuries or suspensions ever plague the club. Much like his teammate Robin Gosens, he can play up and down the pitch at any given time. Each year Castagne seems to be making massive improvements in his game. Long gone are his days of being a very average centre-back for Genk. He also has experience in both the Europa League and Champions League so would be a handy player to have in the dressing rooms for our European games next season.
CONS: Although often playing the modern fullback role of box-to-box helping in defence and attack, he only managed the 2 goals and 3 assists last season. Obviously, goals and assists aren’t the main roles of a defender, but it is important to note that as we ideally want a player who is better than what we previously had with Chilwell. Castagne’s defensive abilities are by no means poor, but they aren’t ground-breaking either. Although competent at left back, it isn’t his primary role and is more suited to right back, and considering that we already have Ricardo Pereira who is one of the best fullbacks in the league, I can’t see him playing in his primary position often.
MY VERDICT: Would be a decent player although wouldn’t be a huge improvement on what we already have, particularly when James Justin and Luke Thomas are both showing good signs of potential. I wouldn’t mind him if he was signed as a backup player, however I feel as though there are other clubs that would be eyeing him off as a first-choice option, so that would reduce the chances of us signing him.
RATING 6.5/10 –By no means a bad player to have, although considering the fee we received from Chilwell, I would hope we could someone with the quality to be a weekly starter for the club, which sadly isn’t what I believe Castagne would be.
Lachlan Onions
Jonathan Ikone
POSITION: Right Wing/Attacking Mid
AGE: 22
PRICE: £40M
CURRENT CLUB: Lille
DATE LINKED: 25/08/2020
PROS: Ikone is both young and quick. The PSG youth product and French international has bounds of potential and has shown some great signs in the French Ligue 1. He possesses both the pace and flair that we see in flashes from Demarai Gray, as well as the finesse and composure similar to the likes of James Maddison which would make him a very handy signing indeed. Judging by the way he has performed for Lille I would consider him good enough to break into the first team and be a regular starter for Leicester.
He would also provide us with a better variety in attack as we currently don’t have a left-footed winger in our squad. Ikone can beat full backs on his own and can open up a game by himself. His presence alone has given Ligue 1 defenders numerous headaches. At just 22 Ikone has the potential to become an elite player by the time he reaches his peak.
CONS: Ikone has so far only played in France and has yet to ply his trade elsewhere. Although 2 of the final 4 teams in this year’s Champions League were from France, the Premier League is a massive step up from where he currently is, particularly for someone as young and inexperienced as he is. So, the question remains, is he good enough to make it in the Premier League? After making nearly 150 senior appearances he so far only has 13 goals and 19 assists to show for.
Obviously, we can expect this number to increase in the coming years as he gets more experienced but nonetheless, he will need to perform at a higher level if he is to justify a £40M price tag. For £40M as well it is quite a risk to take, especially when you consider the last times we’ve forked out money for attackers and how they’ve turned out. Ikone could very easily turn into another Ahmed Musa or Islam Slimani who doesn’t have the same impact for our club as he has elsewhere.
MY VERDICT: Ikone is a very exciting player although there still is the question of doubt as to whether he will be able to perform at the top level. That been said, his natural ability alone is as good if not better than what we currently have as our wing options. If the price tag was a little lower, perhaps in the region of 30M I would say he is a must-buy but due to the higher value I can’t help but question whether he would be worth what would be in the region of a club-record transfer fee.
RATING 8/10 –Would be a great signing and would show some serious signs of ambition. I think he can bring a lot to the team and definitely improve us as a squad, it’s just more a question if there is anyone better for a cheaper price on the market at the moment.
Lachlan Onions
POSITION: Right Wing/Attacking Mid
AGE: 22
PRICE: £40M
CURRENT CLUB: Lille
DATE LINKED: 25/08/2020
PROS: Ikone is both young and quick. The PSG youth product and French international has bounds of potential and has shown some great signs in the French Ligue 1. He possesses both the pace and flair that we see in flashes from Demarai Gray, as well as the finesse and composure similar to the likes of James Maddison which would make him a very handy signing indeed. Judging by the way he has performed for Lille I would consider him good enough to break into the first team and be a regular starter for Leicester.
He would also provide us with a better variety in attack as we currently don’t have a left-footed winger in our squad. Ikone can beat full backs on his own and can open up a game by himself. His presence alone has given Ligue 1 defenders numerous headaches. At just 22 Ikone has the potential to become an elite player by the time he reaches his peak.
CONS: Ikone has so far only played in France and has yet to ply his trade elsewhere. Although 2 of the final 4 teams in this year’s Champions League were from France, the Premier League is a massive step up from where he currently is, particularly for someone as young and inexperienced as he is. So, the question remains, is he good enough to make it in the Premier League? After making nearly 150 senior appearances he so far only has 13 goals and 19 assists to show for.
Obviously, we can expect this number to increase in the coming years as he gets more experienced but nonetheless, he will need to perform at a higher level if he is to justify a £40M price tag. For £40M as well it is quite a risk to take, especially when you consider the last times we’ve forked out money for attackers and how they’ve turned out. Ikone could very easily turn into another Ahmed Musa or Islam Slimani who doesn’t have the same impact for our club as he has elsewhere.
MY VERDICT: Ikone is a very exciting player although there still is the question of doubt as to whether he will be able to perform at the top level. That been said, his natural ability alone is as good if not better than what we currently have as our wing options. If the price tag was a little lower, perhaps in the region of 30M I would say he is a must-buy but due to the higher value I can’t help but question whether he would be worth what would be in the region of a club-record transfer fee.
RATING 8/10 –Would be a great signing and would show some serious signs of ambition. I think he can bring a lot to the team and definitely improve us as a squad, it’s just more a question if there is anyone better for a cheaper price on the market at the moment.
Lachlan Onions
Joe Bryan
POSITION: Left Back
AGE: 26
PRICE: £15M+
CURRENT CLUB: Fulham
DATE LINKED: 26/08/2020
PROS: Joe Bryan has what you expect from a modern-day fullback with pace and a constant support for when in the attack. For the former winger-turned fullback, we can look no further than a few weeks ago to see that he has what it takes in the big games as he scored 2 goals in the play-off final to win the game for Fulham. On the attacking front he is no slouch with 27 goals and a further 41 assists to show for. However, most of those were from Championship level, or lower.
Bryan was one of the most consistent performers out of any left back in the Championship last season. Bryan isn’t afraid to get into the final third either with 22% of his touches being in attacking positions last season. In terms of defensive work, he is a more than capable tackler and although how he will fair against the likes of Mo Salah and Bernardo Silva is another Question
CONS: From Joe Bryan’s 1 season in the top-flight he managed only 1 assist in over 2000 minutes of game time. Bryan has also yet to receive a call-up for the national team. It is also hard to see him making the all-round improvements that would be necessary for him to play for a club that is challenging for the European spots.
MY VERDICT: Considering we would want a player that is an improvement on Ben Chilwell this doesn’t seem like a good move. Bryan could have what it takes to be backup player to use from time-to-time, however considering we are in need of a new first choice left back, he is not the way to go.
RATING 4/10 –If we seriously want to continue to fight for Europe we will need to be spending more than 15M on a replacement for a player that was sold in the region of 50M..
Lachlan Onions
POSITION: Left Back
AGE: 26
PRICE: £15M+
CURRENT CLUB: Fulham
DATE LINKED: 26/08/2020
PROS: Joe Bryan has what you expect from a modern-day fullback with pace and a constant support for when in the attack. For the former winger-turned fullback, we can look no further than a few weeks ago to see that he has what it takes in the big games as he scored 2 goals in the play-off final to win the game for Fulham. On the attacking front he is no slouch with 27 goals and a further 41 assists to show for. However, most of those were from Championship level, or lower.
Bryan was one of the most consistent performers out of any left back in the Championship last season. Bryan isn’t afraid to get into the final third either with 22% of his touches being in attacking positions last season. In terms of defensive work, he is a more than capable tackler and although how he will fair against the likes of Mo Salah and Bernardo Silva is another Question
CONS: From Joe Bryan’s 1 season in the top-flight he managed only 1 assist in over 2000 minutes of game time. Bryan has also yet to receive a call-up for the national team. It is also hard to see him making the all-round improvements that would be necessary for him to play for a club that is challenging for the European spots.
MY VERDICT: Considering we would want a player that is an improvement on Ben Chilwell this doesn’t seem like a good move. Bryan could have what it takes to be backup player to use from time-to-time, however considering we are in need of a new first choice left back, he is not the way to go.
RATING 4/10 –If we seriously want to continue to fight for Europe we will need to be spending more than 15M on a replacement for a player that was sold in the region of 50M..
Lachlan Onions
Robin Gosens
POSITION: Left Back
AGE: 26
PRICE: £27M
CURRENT CLUB: Atalanta
DATE LINKED: 26/08/2020
PROS: Another fullback that we have been linked with. Gosens was part of the Atalanta squad that set the Serie A and Champions League alight last season. This wingback offers support both up and down the pitch and has been rewarded by being called up to the German national squad for the first time. He is another one of your modern fullbacks that are all-round skilled allowing them to be a threat across the park. Gosens scored 10 goals and provided 8 assists last season.
At 26 he is entering the peak of his career so the best of him is soon to come. He also boasts Champions League experience which would be of use as we enter our second European campaign since returning to the top-flight.
CONS: For the most part Atalanta have played a formation with 5 at the back with the wingbacks on either side given freedom to roam in attack. These habits could leave him potentially out of position in a standard 4 at the back formation which has been what Brendan Rodgers has favoured.
MY VERDICT: I have a feeling we would see Gosens succeed if he played in the Premier League. If he is the left back we want, well I’m still not sure, there are still plenty of other fullbacks that we have been linked with that I would prefer to sign however if we cannot sign those Robin Gosens would be a more than acceptable signing.
RATING 7/10 –If we miss out on Tagliafico then we should definitely look into him. I think he would do as well if not slightly better than what we saw from Chilwell and considering he is just over half the price we sold Chilwell for this wouldn’t be a bad piece of business.
Lachlan Onions
POSITION: Left Back
AGE: 26
PRICE: £27M
CURRENT CLUB: Atalanta
DATE LINKED: 26/08/2020
PROS: Another fullback that we have been linked with. Gosens was part of the Atalanta squad that set the Serie A and Champions League alight last season. This wingback offers support both up and down the pitch and has been rewarded by being called up to the German national squad for the first time. He is another one of your modern fullbacks that are all-round skilled allowing them to be a threat across the park. Gosens scored 10 goals and provided 8 assists last season.
At 26 he is entering the peak of his career so the best of him is soon to come. He also boasts Champions League experience which would be of use as we enter our second European campaign since returning to the top-flight.
CONS: For the most part Atalanta have played a formation with 5 at the back with the wingbacks on either side given freedom to roam in attack. These habits could leave him potentially out of position in a standard 4 at the back formation which has been what Brendan Rodgers has favoured.
MY VERDICT: I have a feeling we would see Gosens succeed if he played in the Premier League. If he is the left back we want, well I’m still not sure, there are still plenty of other fullbacks that we have been linked with that I would prefer to sign however if we cannot sign those Robin Gosens would be a more than acceptable signing.
RATING 7/10 –If we miss out on Tagliafico then we should definitely look into him. I think he would do as well if not slightly better than what we saw from Chilwell and considering he is just over half the price we sold Chilwell for this wouldn’t be a bad piece of business.
Lachlan Onions
NICOLAS TAGLIAFICO
POSITION: LEFT BACK
AGE: 27
PRICE: £40M
CURRENT CLUB: AJAX
DATE LINKED: 17/08/2020
PROS: Already playing at high level, Tagliafico is your typical modern day full back who is good at both ends of the pitch, which is where Chilwell lacks (defending) so, as great as it is seeing a full back bombing down the wing and whipping in crosses, it would be great to see that, and see world class defending at the same time, Tagliafico has that! A lot of clubs are looking at him, including Chelsea, should their pursuit of Chilwell come to nothing, he is highly regarded around Europe, A full international with Argentina, and at 27 has some good years ahead of him still. His defensive contributions set him apart from other elite fullbacks in Europe. Nicolas averaged 2.9 tackles, 1.9 interceptions and 2.4 Clearances per 90 last season in all competitions for Ajax.
His defensive positioning is top notch and his recovery speed on transitions is one to look out for. Nicolas is press resistant, holds on to the ball and is very composed in defensive situations. Another important stat to note is that Nicolas did not commit any errors which lead to goals all season long for Ajax in the league, a testament to his experience in the role. The guy has great Stamina, a great leader (was captain at his previous club) and chips in with goals and assists too. There is not a lot not to like really.
CONS: Its that same question which is asked every time an overseas player comes to take on the premiership, can he cut the mustard? My answer to that would be yes, but you just don’t know. Ok so the price, £40m seems a little high, but in todays market, if we can make £10m profit by selling Chilwell and getting this guy in, then its great business in my book.
But it wont be as easy as that will it? No! I am sure other clubs are looking at this guy, and Leicester being Leicester, will wait for the sale of Chilwell before making their move, will it be too late then?, with a host of other clubs watching, I would say it would be. I have had a look at his injury record and there are some niggles there, not real bad, but at 27 we need to make sure the guy is up for the rigours of the premiership.
MY VERDICT: Go get him before its too late, get the £50m for Chilly and go get this guy, he really does look the business, Iv’e watched some footage, done my research and I’m really excited that we are linked with him, It would be an upgrade, I assure you of that, and we will get change!
RATING 9/10 – No brainer, if we get him guys, be excited!
Mark Heath
POSITION: LEFT BACK
AGE: 27
PRICE: £40M
CURRENT CLUB: AJAX
DATE LINKED: 17/08/2020
PROS: Already playing at high level, Tagliafico is your typical modern day full back who is good at both ends of the pitch, which is where Chilwell lacks (defending) so, as great as it is seeing a full back bombing down the wing and whipping in crosses, it would be great to see that, and see world class defending at the same time, Tagliafico has that! A lot of clubs are looking at him, including Chelsea, should their pursuit of Chilwell come to nothing, he is highly regarded around Europe, A full international with Argentina, and at 27 has some good years ahead of him still. His defensive contributions set him apart from other elite fullbacks in Europe. Nicolas averaged 2.9 tackles, 1.9 interceptions and 2.4 Clearances per 90 last season in all competitions for Ajax.
His defensive positioning is top notch and his recovery speed on transitions is one to look out for. Nicolas is press resistant, holds on to the ball and is very composed in defensive situations. Another important stat to note is that Nicolas did not commit any errors which lead to goals all season long for Ajax in the league, a testament to his experience in the role. The guy has great Stamina, a great leader (was captain at his previous club) and chips in with goals and assists too. There is not a lot not to like really.
CONS: Its that same question which is asked every time an overseas player comes to take on the premiership, can he cut the mustard? My answer to that would be yes, but you just don’t know. Ok so the price, £40m seems a little high, but in todays market, if we can make £10m profit by selling Chilwell and getting this guy in, then its great business in my book.
But it wont be as easy as that will it? No! I am sure other clubs are looking at this guy, and Leicester being Leicester, will wait for the sale of Chilwell before making their move, will it be too late then?, with a host of other clubs watching, I would say it would be. I have had a look at his injury record and there are some niggles there, not real bad, but at 27 we need to make sure the guy is up for the rigours of the premiership.
MY VERDICT: Go get him before its too late, get the £50m for Chilly and go get this guy, he really does look the business, Iv’e watched some footage, done my research and I’m really excited that we are linked with him, It would be an upgrade, I assure you of that, and we will get change!
RATING 9/10 – No brainer, if we get him guys, be excited!
Mark Heath
OLLIE WATKINS
POSITION: FORWARD
AGE: 24
PRICE: £20M +
CURRENT CLUB: BRENTFORD
DATE LINKED: 10/08/2020
PROS: EFL player of the year winner, Ollie Watkins has been sensational in the championship this season. He is talked of very highly from pundits watching him, his manager and fellow players, this guy looks the business, can score with both feet, can hold the ball up and can run the channels. From 50 appearances in all competitions, he has scored 26 goals, a fantastic return no matter what division. It looks like he has plenty of admirers, we have been linked, so to Newcastle, Brighton and Aston villa to name a few, the guy looks like he has a bright future, but can he cut it at the highest level?
CONS: So the question is, can he indeed cut it at the highest level? A certain Neal Maupay had the same sort of stats at the same club, he was brought by Brighton, and although he isn’t bad, he certainly has found it difficult at the highest level, and that would be my only concern with Watkins, but then we got Vardy from a much lower level and he is a world beater, so who knows?
With so many clubs interested, what will the asking price be, £20+m mentioned in a few sources, and what is the mindset of Watkins? If he went to somewhere like Villa, he will probably start, would he at Leicester? Probably not, if the guy chooses to come here and prove himself then that’s a thumbs up from me.
MY VERDICT: Looks a great player, he’s got it all, can he cut it at the top level? My gut is telling me yes, so if he’s happy being part of a great squad and up for proving himself rather than taking an easy move where he knows he will start, then that shows me he’s hungry and wants to succeed. My verdict is, yes, go get him, if the price is right, he would be a great addition to the team.
RATING 8/10 – My gut says this guy will make it, so let’s go get him.
Mark Heath
POSITION: FORWARD
AGE: 24
PRICE: £20M +
CURRENT CLUB: BRENTFORD
DATE LINKED: 10/08/2020
PROS: EFL player of the year winner, Ollie Watkins has been sensational in the championship this season. He is talked of very highly from pundits watching him, his manager and fellow players, this guy looks the business, can score with both feet, can hold the ball up and can run the channels. From 50 appearances in all competitions, he has scored 26 goals, a fantastic return no matter what division. It looks like he has plenty of admirers, we have been linked, so to Newcastle, Brighton and Aston villa to name a few, the guy looks like he has a bright future, but can he cut it at the highest level?
CONS: So the question is, can he indeed cut it at the highest level? A certain Neal Maupay had the same sort of stats at the same club, he was brought by Brighton, and although he isn’t bad, he certainly has found it difficult at the highest level, and that would be my only concern with Watkins, but then we got Vardy from a much lower level and he is a world beater, so who knows?
With so many clubs interested, what will the asking price be, £20+m mentioned in a few sources, and what is the mindset of Watkins? If he went to somewhere like Villa, he will probably start, would he at Leicester? Probably not, if the guy chooses to come here and prove himself then that’s a thumbs up from me.
MY VERDICT: Looks a great player, he’s got it all, can he cut it at the top level? My gut is telling me yes, so if he’s happy being part of a great squad and up for proving himself rather than taking an easy move where he knows he will start, then that shows me he’s hungry and wants to succeed. My verdict is, yes, go get him, if the price is right, he would be a great addition to the team.
RATING 8/10 – My gut says this guy will make it, so let’s go get him.
Mark Heath
DWIGHT McNEIL
POSITION: LEFT WINGER
AGE: 20
PRICE: £25M +
CURRENT CLUB: BURNLEY
DATE LINKED: 10/08/2020
PROS: Young, Dynamic with the ability to take on a man, Mcneil has been 1 of Burnleys shining lights this season past, Chris Woods (remember him) has said that Mcneils, delivery and chances created for him is the best he has had in his career. This is the type of player that Brendan would love to coach. An ever present this year for Burnley, scoring a couple of goals and assisting 6, his passing accuracy is good, and he likes to get hold of the ball and play, not one for hiding this kid!
I’m sure he will go on to be an England international, especially if he can keep producing the performances he has so far. If any club could get him for less than say £30m, then I say it’s a steal, if the guy is a starter.
CONS: So the question is, would he be a starter for us? We have Harvey playing in the same position, and Perez can play there also, my guess is, our name has just been thrown into the hat to inflate the price? So this kid is eye catching for sure, and that is what people remember, but if you have a closer look at his stats, it don’t read that well in my opinion, 6 assists over a full season, 2 goals, in fact he was better the season before, and Burnley were a lot better that season, in my opinion, the guy is more flair than substance, and he wouldn’t be a starter for me here at Leicester.
MY VERDICT: Would be a good buy for someone else, but I think we have better in Harvey Barnes, if we could get him for £15-20m to add squad depth, then sure, why not, but I think the kid has grander plans than that, so for the price that I believe this kid will go for (£30m+) I would politely decline, good player, not needed!
RATING 6½ /10 – Sure this kid is going places, but we have better here already!
Mark Heath
POSITION: LEFT WINGER
AGE: 20
PRICE: £25M +
CURRENT CLUB: BURNLEY
DATE LINKED: 10/08/2020
PROS: Young, Dynamic with the ability to take on a man, Mcneil has been 1 of Burnleys shining lights this season past, Chris Woods (remember him) has said that Mcneils, delivery and chances created for him is the best he has had in his career. This is the type of player that Brendan would love to coach. An ever present this year for Burnley, scoring a couple of goals and assisting 6, his passing accuracy is good, and he likes to get hold of the ball and play, not one for hiding this kid!
I’m sure he will go on to be an England international, especially if he can keep producing the performances he has so far. If any club could get him for less than say £30m, then I say it’s a steal, if the guy is a starter.
CONS: So the question is, would he be a starter for us? We have Harvey playing in the same position, and Perez can play there also, my guess is, our name has just been thrown into the hat to inflate the price? So this kid is eye catching for sure, and that is what people remember, but if you have a closer look at his stats, it don’t read that well in my opinion, 6 assists over a full season, 2 goals, in fact he was better the season before, and Burnley were a lot better that season, in my opinion, the guy is more flair than substance, and he wouldn’t be a starter for me here at Leicester.
MY VERDICT: Would be a good buy for someone else, but I think we have better in Harvey Barnes, if we could get him for £15-20m to add squad depth, then sure, why not, but I think the kid has grander plans than that, so for the price that I believe this kid will go for (£30m+) I would politely decline, good player, not needed!
RATING 6½ /10 – Sure this kid is going places, but we have better here already!
Mark Heath
JAMES TARKOWSKI
POSITION: CENTRAL DEFENDER
AGE: 27
PRICE: £50M
CURRENT CLUB: BURNLEY
DATE LINKED: 03/08/2020
PROS: So the rumour mill states we are back in for Tarkowski? Solid solid defender, if you watch this guy play, he is forever yelling, directing and marshalling others, I think a lot of Burnleys success, if success is premier survival, is a lot down to Tarkowski, not simply for his defending but the points just mentioned, captain material and England international there are only a handful better in the Premier league. A solid 7 or 8 every game, he rarely has an off day, not the biggest of centre halves but is very good in the air and wins many aerial duals, strong and fairly pacey he could get in the majority of Premier league defences.
CONS: £50m a good place to start, and end for that matter, I know prices have been forever creeping up and if Akes worth this then blah blah blah, the simple matter is, we do not need him, so why spend £50m on a player not required, if we did need a centre halve then that would be the sort of money needed, but we don’t, unless we are thinking a back 3? then he would be needed!The plot thickens.
MY VERDICT: Big Wes has signed for a further year, wouldn’t have been my decision, but he has, we have Soyuncu, Evans, Benkovic also, so the fact is, he just isn’t needed, especially not for £50m, if we hadn’t had offered Wes another year, then yes, that’s the type we should be going for, or maybe Brendan has plans for a back 3, in which case yes he would be needed, oh I don’t know, what you think fellow foxes?
RATING 8/10 – Solid defender, unless we have plans for 3 at the back then this should stay as a rumour!
Mark Heath
POSITION: CENTRAL DEFENDER
AGE: 27
PRICE: £50M
CURRENT CLUB: BURNLEY
DATE LINKED: 03/08/2020
PROS: So the rumour mill states we are back in for Tarkowski? Solid solid defender, if you watch this guy play, he is forever yelling, directing and marshalling others, I think a lot of Burnleys success, if success is premier survival, is a lot down to Tarkowski, not simply for his defending but the points just mentioned, captain material and England international there are only a handful better in the Premier league. A solid 7 or 8 every game, he rarely has an off day, not the biggest of centre halves but is very good in the air and wins many aerial duals, strong and fairly pacey he could get in the majority of Premier league defences.
CONS: £50m a good place to start, and end for that matter, I know prices have been forever creeping up and if Akes worth this then blah blah blah, the simple matter is, we do not need him, so why spend £50m on a player not required, if we did need a centre halve then that would be the sort of money needed, but we don’t, unless we are thinking a back 3? then he would be needed!The plot thickens.
MY VERDICT: Big Wes has signed for a further year, wouldn’t have been my decision, but he has, we have Soyuncu, Evans, Benkovic also, so the fact is, he just isn’t needed, especially not for £50m, if we hadn’t had offered Wes another year, then yes, that’s the type we should be going for, or maybe Brendan has plans for a back 3, in which case yes he would be needed, oh I don’t know, what you think fellow foxes?
RATING 8/10 – Solid defender, unless we have plans for 3 at the back then this should stay as a rumour!
Mark Heath
FRANCISCO TRINCAO
POSITION: STRIKER/RIGHT WINGER
AGE: 20
PRICE: £45M
CURRENT CLUB: BARCELONA
DATE LINKED: 03/08/2020
PROS: Just the type of profile Brendan would want at the club, young, bags of potential, willing to work, unselfish, the list goes on. Again has the ability to score a goal and to assist also. Highly regarded in Europe and as I always say, no smoke without fire, potential is only reached with the right people around you. He is fast, passes the ball well, has great awareness on the pitch, he’s good one on one and he can provide both goals and assists. He is left footed, but he can use his right foot and prefers to play on the right wing. Although he has played through the middle, he is more comfortable on the wing.
CONS: So yes, he was that well regarded around Europe whilst at Braga, that the mighty Barcelona came in for him, but that’s all that’s happened, yet to make a senior start, is there a reason for that, of course there is, if you are paying out 30m (which was the fee paid for by Barcelona) then a game here and there would suffice, my bet is, Barcelona recruitment may have got this wrong, and once you get to see someone day in day out you know what’s what, and you make your decisions accordingly.
Barcelona state however, and I quote, ‘he will not be sold at any price’, so he must be magic right? Wrong! They are just playing the game all clubs love to play in silly season. My bet is, he’s not all that, guess we will see who’s right and wrong.
MY VERDICT: So he must be good because he’s on Barcelonas books? Nah, don’t give me that, and just to add to that, £40m of your finest pounds being mentioned, nope, no and never. Barcelona do not want to sell him anyway do they? Lets hope that’s true, else we could be lumbered with a bigger disaster than a certain Akinbiyi, and he was cheaper! A lot cheaper! Not 1 I will be voting for foxes fans, what about you?
RATING 4/10 – There is a reason I am not a football manager, but my hunch is I am right on this one.
Mark Heath
POSITION: STRIKER/RIGHT WINGER
AGE: 20
PRICE: £45M
CURRENT CLUB: BARCELONA
DATE LINKED: 03/08/2020
PROS: Just the type of profile Brendan would want at the club, young, bags of potential, willing to work, unselfish, the list goes on. Again has the ability to score a goal and to assist also. Highly regarded in Europe and as I always say, no smoke without fire, potential is only reached with the right people around you. He is fast, passes the ball well, has great awareness on the pitch, he’s good one on one and he can provide both goals and assists. He is left footed, but he can use his right foot and prefers to play on the right wing. Although he has played through the middle, he is more comfortable on the wing.
CONS: So yes, he was that well regarded around Europe whilst at Braga, that the mighty Barcelona came in for him, but that’s all that’s happened, yet to make a senior start, is there a reason for that, of course there is, if you are paying out 30m (which was the fee paid for by Barcelona) then a game here and there would suffice, my bet is, Barcelona recruitment may have got this wrong, and once you get to see someone day in day out you know what’s what, and you make your decisions accordingly.
Barcelona state however, and I quote, ‘he will not be sold at any price’, so he must be magic right? Wrong! They are just playing the game all clubs love to play in silly season. My bet is, he’s not all that, guess we will see who’s right and wrong.
MY VERDICT: So he must be good because he’s on Barcelonas books? Nah, don’t give me that, and just to add to that, £40m of your finest pounds being mentioned, nope, no and never. Barcelona do not want to sell him anyway do they? Lets hope that’s true, else we could be lumbered with a bigger disaster than a certain Akinbiyi, and he was cheaper! A lot cheaper! Not 1 I will be voting for foxes fans, what about you?
RATING 4/10 – There is a reason I am not a football manager, but my hunch is I am right on this one.
Mark Heath
ALFREDO MORELOS
POSITION: STRIKER
AGE: 24
PRICE: £40M
CURRENT CLUB: GLASGOW RANGERS
DATE LINKED: 01/08/2020
PROS: Since catching the eye at Rangers, Morelos has broken into the Colombian national side, with 6 appearances and 1 goal so far. His stats for Rangers are pretty impressive, from 46 appearances in all competitions he has racked up an impressive 29 goals and 10 assists. With the same desire and hunger to chase down lost causes and a natural finisher, Morelos could just be the man that succeeds Jamie Vardy? Joining Rangers from Helsinki where his stats are even better, 46 goals from 62 appearances, this guy knows how to find the net, and at 24 years of age, his best years are to come!
CONS: Reading between the lines, would he disrupt a settled squad, it appears he has that in him, the guy is a maverick, that can be exceptional one game and non existent the next, but his figures do not lie! I think Brendan would better manage him than Gerrard has/would, and could help turn this very good player into a world class forward. His temperament is questionable and it would worry me whether the squad would take to him, and indeed put up with any nonsense, we are known for player power here after all!
The lad is a gamble, but is he a gamble worth taking?
MY VERDICT: Would he be able to achieve the numbers in the prem as he has in Scotland, the answer is you will never know unless you are willing to gamble, and the gamble is going to be big money. My gut tells me this guy is the real deal, and possibly the one to fill Mr Vardys boots, we are going to have to spend decent money to get the calibre of squad needed to compete at the highest levels, with Vardy getting no younger, I say make a move and get him in.
RATING 8/10 - A gamble worth taking!!
Mark Heath
POSITION: STRIKER
AGE: 24
PRICE: £40M
CURRENT CLUB: GLASGOW RANGERS
DATE LINKED: 01/08/2020
PROS: Since catching the eye at Rangers, Morelos has broken into the Colombian national side, with 6 appearances and 1 goal so far. His stats for Rangers are pretty impressive, from 46 appearances in all competitions he has racked up an impressive 29 goals and 10 assists. With the same desire and hunger to chase down lost causes and a natural finisher, Morelos could just be the man that succeeds Jamie Vardy? Joining Rangers from Helsinki where his stats are even better, 46 goals from 62 appearances, this guy knows how to find the net, and at 24 years of age, his best years are to come!
CONS: Reading between the lines, would he disrupt a settled squad, it appears he has that in him, the guy is a maverick, that can be exceptional one game and non existent the next, but his figures do not lie! I think Brendan would better manage him than Gerrard has/would, and could help turn this very good player into a world class forward. His temperament is questionable and it would worry me whether the squad would take to him, and indeed put up with any nonsense, we are known for player power here after all!
The lad is a gamble, but is he a gamble worth taking?
MY VERDICT: Would he be able to achieve the numbers in the prem as he has in Scotland, the answer is you will never know unless you are willing to gamble, and the gamble is going to be big money. My gut tells me this guy is the real deal, and possibly the one to fill Mr Vardys boots, we are going to have to spend decent money to get the calibre of squad needed to compete at the highest levels, with Vardy getting no younger, I say make a move and get him in.
RATING 8/10 - A gamble worth taking!!
Mark Heath
DAVID BROOKS
POSITION: AM / RIGHT WINGER
AGE: 23
PRICE: £25M
CURRENT CLUB: AFC BOURNEMOUTH
DATE LINKED: 31/07/2020
PROS: A lot of pundits and coaches speak very highly of Brooks, and what we have seen of him, he certainly looks like he is a class act, mainly used as a right winger, it’s a position where he can slot in nicely for Leicester. He is the profile of player which Brendan will love to work with, and is probably the best man for the job to unlock his undoubted potential. He has slotted into the Welsh national side and does not look out of place in the big games, infact, it’s where he seems to come alive. This guy is in the same mould of say a Foden,and given right handling could be just as good in the near future. Has ability to score a goal, and was a shining light in a poor Bournemouth team.
CONS: Did not see a lot of Brooks this season due to injury, so here’s hoping that is not 1 of his traits, his 18/19 season stats are what we are to go by, as the season gone was definitely 1 to forget. I do not see an awful lot not to like, yes he was a part of a relegated side, but I do feel if the kid played the whole season fully fit, Bournemouth would not have gone down.
Some might argue that signing players from a relegated side, especially into a team now in Europe, is not the way forward, but for me, it’s not an issue.
The asking price may turn out to be a concern, Bournemouth will cash in, and if it was only us interested, a bid of £20-25M would surely get the man, but with a whole host of other interested parties, that figure may just creep up?
MY VERDICT: Yep, this would work for me, a quality addition with youth and potential in abundance, I could see great things should Brendan get to work with this kid, imagine for one second a front 4 of Vardy, Maddison, brooks and Couthino? Ok, we can dream, but this guy is gettable and would surely see Leicester and Brendan as a good career move himself.
Anyone think any different, another name to counter? Well let us know and lets discuss!
RATING 8½/10 – Let’s go get him, it’s a nice fit for all involved.
Mark Heath
POSITION: AM / RIGHT WINGER
AGE: 23
PRICE: £25M
CURRENT CLUB: AFC BOURNEMOUTH
DATE LINKED: 31/07/2020
PROS: A lot of pundits and coaches speak very highly of Brooks, and what we have seen of him, he certainly looks like he is a class act, mainly used as a right winger, it’s a position where he can slot in nicely for Leicester. He is the profile of player which Brendan will love to work with, and is probably the best man for the job to unlock his undoubted potential. He has slotted into the Welsh national side and does not look out of place in the big games, infact, it’s where he seems to come alive. This guy is in the same mould of say a Foden,and given right handling could be just as good in the near future. Has ability to score a goal, and was a shining light in a poor Bournemouth team.
CONS: Did not see a lot of Brooks this season due to injury, so here’s hoping that is not 1 of his traits, his 18/19 season stats are what we are to go by, as the season gone was definitely 1 to forget. I do not see an awful lot not to like, yes he was a part of a relegated side, but I do feel if the kid played the whole season fully fit, Bournemouth would not have gone down.
Some might argue that signing players from a relegated side, especially into a team now in Europe, is not the way forward, but for me, it’s not an issue.
The asking price may turn out to be a concern, Bournemouth will cash in, and if it was only us interested, a bid of £20-25M would surely get the man, but with a whole host of other interested parties, that figure may just creep up?
MY VERDICT: Yep, this would work for me, a quality addition with youth and potential in abundance, I could see great things should Brendan get to work with this kid, imagine for one second a front 4 of Vardy, Maddison, brooks and Couthino? Ok, we can dream, but this guy is gettable and would surely see Leicester and Brendan as a good career move himself.
Anyone think any different, another name to counter? Well let us know and lets discuss!
RATING 8½/10 – Let’s go get him, it’s a nice fit for all involved.
Mark Heath
VEDAT MURIQI
POSITION: FORWARD
AGE: 26
PRICE: £18.1
CURRENT CLUB: FENERBACHE
DATE LINKED: 31/07/2020
PROS: Impressive stats in the Super Lig, 17 goals and 7 assists, from 36 appearances in all competitions. A full Kosovian international player also, scoring 8 goals from 23 appearances.I put this player in the same mould as say a Mitrovic, good in the air, with bags of strength, someone you can hit the ball up to who has the ability to hold it up and bring in others, his assist record suggests just that. At 26 years old, a good age to go on and do bigger and better things. There appears to be a lot of interest in the player, with Man Utd muted also, so a lot of big clubs taking an interest means theres no smoke without fire!
CONS: Have you ever heard of the guy? I hadn’t until seeing the rumour, then doing my research, but then I hadn’t heard of Kante and Mahrez either. But the biggest Con here for me is, I just do not see where he fits in our team, Vardy is going nowhere, now unless Brendan wants to mix things up as a plan B and go back to the big man to lump to, I don’t know, but we have tried that with Slimani and to a lesser extent Ulloa, It just doesn’t suit what we have become. But then having said all that, we have struggled for a plan B, so maybe this is the way to go??
MY VERDICT: I wouldn’t be opposed to a plan B of big man up top, because we do struggle to unlock defences when teams sit back, so a few whipped balls in from left and right to a target man works for me, but we have that guy in Slimani, so If Brendan is thinking along those lines, then look no further than what you already got! Definate option, and the boy knows where the net is, but at £18.1M, I’d suggest Brendan getting Slimani back at the training ground and working with him instead!
RATING 5/10 – Again, not for me, can you convince me otherwise??
Mark Heath
POSITION: FORWARD
AGE: 26
PRICE: £18.1
CURRENT CLUB: FENERBACHE
DATE LINKED: 31/07/2020
PROS: Impressive stats in the Super Lig, 17 goals and 7 assists, from 36 appearances in all competitions. A full Kosovian international player also, scoring 8 goals from 23 appearances.I put this player in the same mould as say a Mitrovic, good in the air, with bags of strength, someone you can hit the ball up to who has the ability to hold it up and bring in others, his assist record suggests just that. At 26 years old, a good age to go on and do bigger and better things. There appears to be a lot of interest in the player, with Man Utd muted also, so a lot of big clubs taking an interest means theres no smoke without fire!
CONS: Have you ever heard of the guy? I hadn’t until seeing the rumour, then doing my research, but then I hadn’t heard of Kante and Mahrez either. But the biggest Con here for me is, I just do not see where he fits in our team, Vardy is going nowhere, now unless Brendan wants to mix things up as a plan B and go back to the big man to lump to, I don’t know, but we have tried that with Slimani and to a lesser extent Ulloa, It just doesn’t suit what we have become. But then having said all that, we have struggled for a plan B, so maybe this is the way to go??
MY VERDICT: I wouldn’t be opposed to a plan B of big man up top, because we do struggle to unlock defences when teams sit back, so a few whipped balls in from left and right to a target man works for me, but we have that guy in Slimani, so If Brendan is thinking along those lines, then look no further than what you already got! Definate option, and the boy knows where the net is, but at £18.1M, I’d suggest Brendan getting Slimani back at the training ground and working with him instead!
RATING 5/10 – Again, not for me, can you convince me otherwise??
Mark Heath
WILLIAM CARVALHO
POSITION: DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDER
AGE: 28
PRICE: £21M
CURRENT CLUB: REAL BETIS
DATE LINKED: 30/07/2020, ONGOING
PROS: A lot of fans and pundits talk very highly of Carvalho, and he looks destined for a move, with his preference to the Premier league.
A ball playing defensive midfielder who likes to play 1 touch football, with the ability to make excellent through balls, and he is good at dribbling with the ball at his feet. Over 50 appearances for the national side which he appears to do his better work.
CONS: A move has been muted for Carvalho for some time now, yet nobody seems to want, or have dipped their hands in the pockets, ask yourself why? Yes he looks comfortable when he has the ball, his passing, his dribbling all ok, but this guy cannot tackle for toffee!
In just 13 appearances for Betis this season he has managed to accumulate 6 yellows and 1 red, a liability if you ask me.For me he doesn’t improve what we have in Ndidi and Choudhury, possibly even Mendy, so why make a move for him? I think if we were genuinely interested, we would have tabled a bid long ago.
MY VERDICT: Nah, not for me, I do not genuinely believe we are interested anyway, maybe time ago we may have enquired and the rumour mill and agents may well be playing on that to inflate his price, at the £21m mentioned, we have to steer clear.
We have better already here, and there are better options out there should we look for cover for the current crop!
RATING 4/10 Its not going to happen, lets be honest, I am even more sure now it looks like we are looking to keep Mendy.
If for some reason it did happen, well I would be less than enthralled at his arrival. Does anyone think any different? Let me know!
Mark Heath
POSITION: DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDER
AGE: 28
PRICE: £21M
CURRENT CLUB: REAL BETIS
DATE LINKED: 30/07/2020, ONGOING
PROS: A lot of fans and pundits talk very highly of Carvalho, and he looks destined for a move, with his preference to the Premier league.
A ball playing defensive midfielder who likes to play 1 touch football, with the ability to make excellent through balls, and he is good at dribbling with the ball at his feet. Over 50 appearances for the national side which he appears to do his better work.
CONS: A move has been muted for Carvalho for some time now, yet nobody seems to want, or have dipped their hands in the pockets, ask yourself why? Yes he looks comfortable when he has the ball, his passing, his dribbling all ok, but this guy cannot tackle for toffee!
In just 13 appearances for Betis this season he has managed to accumulate 6 yellows and 1 red, a liability if you ask me.For me he doesn’t improve what we have in Ndidi and Choudhury, possibly even Mendy, so why make a move for him? I think if we were genuinely interested, we would have tabled a bid long ago.
MY VERDICT: Nah, not for me, I do not genuinely believe we are interested anyway, maybe time ago we may have enquired and the rumour mill and agents may well be playing on that to inflate his price, at the £21m mentioned, we have to steer clear.
We have better already here, and there are better options out there should we look for cover for the current crop!
RATING 4/10 Its not going to happen, lets be honest, I am even more sure now it looks like we are looking to keep Mendy.
If for some reason it did happen, well I would be less than enthralled at his arrival. Does anyone think any different? Let me know!
Mark Heath
PHILIPPE COUTINHO
POSITION: ATTACKING MIDFIELDER
AGE:28
PRICE: £18m (1 YEAR LOAN)
CURRENT CLUB: BARCELONA
DATE LINKED: 29/07/2020, ONGOING
PROS: You don’t just lose it do you? Well I’m saying not, looks like he has found some sort of form on loan at Bayern Munich, scoring 9 goals, 8 assists in all competitions from 34 appearances. Couthino can play in a variety of positions in an attacking role, so his versatility would be useful. Arguably showed his class when playing in the Premiership, and better still under Brendan Rodgers. The guy is still obviously class, and a return to the Premiership may just get him back to his brilliant best. For me, Couthino can be the name we need to take us to the next level, the ability to unlock defences, which we struggle with tremendously when teams shut up shop.
CONS: here is not a lot really to not like, yes he hasn’t hit the ground running at Barcelona, but that can happen. The big downside here is his fee and wages, They are talking about an £18million loan fee, not to mention his £9million per year wages, can we justify such hefty figures? If we can negotiate something better then great, but something tells me he will have a few other interested parties which will only inflate the price. Can he hit the heights of previous times, I say yes, but only time will tell
MY VERDICT: Why not, at least try get him, you never know, he may see us as a good fit, if the owners really want us to be a top 6 main stay, then these are the guys we need to get. The monies mentioned worries me, but sometimes you have to speculate to accumulate.
For me he is the marquee signing that will really show we mean business, probably a dream that will never materialise, but here’s hoping, what do you all think???
RATING 9/10 – YES YES YES, Lets finally show we mean business, quality player, still got many good years left in him, GET HIM IN!
Mark Heath
POSITION: ATTACKING MIDFIELDER
AGE:28
PRICE: £18m (1 YEAR LOAN)
CURRENT CLUB: BARCELONA
DATE LINKED: 29/07/2020, ONGOING
PROS: You don’t just lose it do you? Well I’m saying not, looks like he has found some sort of form on loan at Bayern Munich, scoring 9 goals, 8 assists in all competitions from 34 appearances. Couthino can play in a variety of positions in an attacking role, so his versatility would be useful. Arguably showed his class when playing in the Premiership, and better still under Brendan Rodgers. The guy is still obviously class, and a return to the Premiership may just get him back to his brilliant best. For me, Couthino can be the name we need to take us to the next level, the ability to unlock defences, which we struggle with tremendously when teams shut up shop.
CONS: here is not a lot really to not like, yes he hasn’t hit the ground running at Barcelona, but that can happen. The big downside here is his fee and wages, They are talking about an £18million loan fee, not to mention his £9million per year wages, can we justify such hefty figures? If we can negotiate something better then great, but something tells me he will have a few other interested parties which will only inflate the price. Can he hit the heights of previous times, I say yes, but only time will tell
MY VERDICT: Why not, at least try get him, you never know, he may see us as a good fit, if the owners really want us to be a top 6 main stay, then these are the guys we need to get. The monies mentioned worries me, but sometimes you have to speculate to accumulate.
For me he is the marquee signing that will really show we mean business, probably a dream that will never materialise, but here’s hoping, what do you all think???
RATING 9/10 – YES YES YES, Lets finally show we mean business, quality player, still got many good years left in him, GET HIM IN!
Mark Heath
ODSONNE EDOUARD
POSITION: STRIKER
AGE: 22
PRICE: £30m
PREVIOUS CLUBS: CELTIC , PSG AND TOULOUSE
DATE LINKED: 20/06/2020, ONGOING
PROS: Cracking stats 19/20 season with 27 goals in all competitions with 19 assists, and with the Scottish prem ending early, he surely would have added to his tally. Used mainly as the lone striker he has also been utilised in the right forward position. At 22 years of age there is plenty of room and scope for improvement.
Pacy, Dynamic and a good finisher, there is not a lot not to like, with a whole host of clubs looking at him, the boy is surely going places.
CONS: So yes, his stats read well, and as a lot of you will say, ‘its only in Scotland’ and you know what, maybe your right, because he didn’t do a lot at previously clubs, scoring only 1 on loan at Toulouse and only 3 at u19 level whilst at PSG. He says, and he seems content to stay at Celtic, does this mean he knows he has found his level? He has played for France at u17 up to u21 where to be fair he has scored goals, but he is yet to convince Didier Deschamps he is capable in the senior side. A lot of clubs are looking at this guy including some big names, Chelsea, Arsenal and Dortmund to name a few, his asking price may just become unrealistic should a move materialise!
MY VERDICT: Hmmm not sure on this one, I think his price will be over inflated come the time of reckoning, I do believe we need to think about life after Vardy, but Edouard is not the man for me. His done great things in Scotland, but I think Akinbiyi could get similar numbers, and that’s saying something, Personally I think we need to be going for proven top level players, whatever the position, if we are to compete at the top of the tree and in Europe. He is just too much of a risk in my opinion, but as always, I would love to hear yours. Soooo You want him? Or let someone else take the risk?
RATING: 5/10 – A Possible, maybe Brendan could get a tune, but I think there will be better at a cheaper price.
Mark Heath
POSITION: STRIKER
AGE: 22
PRICE: £30m
PREVIOUS CLUBS: CELTIC , PSG AND TOULOUSE
DATE LINKED: 20/06/2020, ONGOING
PROS: Cracking stats 19/20 season with 27 goals in all competitions with 19 assists, and with the Scottish prem ending early, he surely would have added to his tally. Used mainly as the lone striker he has also been utilised in the right forward position. At 22 years of age there is plenty of room and scope for improvement.
Pacy, Dynamic and a good finisher, there is not a lot not to like, with a whole host of clubs looking at him, the boy is surely going places.
CONS: So yes, his stats read well, and as a lot of you will say, ‘its only in Scotland’ and you know what, maybe your right, because he didn’t do a lot at previously clubs, scoring only 1 on loan at Toulouse and only 3 at u19 level whilst at PSG. He says, and he seems content to stay at Celtic, does this mean he knows he has found his level? He has played for France at u17 up to u21 where to be fair he has scored goals, but he is yet to convince Didier Deschamps he is capable in the senior side. A lot of clubs are looking at this guy including some big names, Chelsea, Arsenal and Dortmund to name a few, his asking price may just become unrealistic should a move materialise!
MY VERDICT: Hmmm not sure on this one, I think his price will be over inflated come the time of reckoning, I do believe we need to think about life after Vardy, but Edouard is not the man for me. His done great things in Scotland, but I think Akinbiyi could get similar numbers, and that’s saying something, Personally I think we need to be going for proven top level players, whatever the position, if we are to compete at the top of the tree and in Europe. He is just too much of a risk in my opinion, but as always, I would love to hear yours. Soooo You want him? Or let someone else take the risk?
RATING: 5/10 – A Possible, maybe Brendan could get a tune, but I think there will be better at a cheaper price.
Mark Heath
ABDULKADIR PARMAK
POSITION: CENTRAL MIDFIELD
AGE: 25
PRICE: £9.1m
PREVIOUS CLUBS: TRABZONSPOR
DATE LINKED: 22/07/2020
PROS: An ever present for Trabzonspor this season, with 3 goals and 3 assists in all competitions. He has managed to break into the Turkish national team but with only 1 appearance to his name. Prodominently a central midfielder, but can be utilised behind the forwards and in left of midfield.
At 25 years of age he has time on his hands, and the sort of profile that Brendan would relish working with?
CONS: Based in Turkey his whole career and for the majority albeit with a top side, but would he be able to make the switch to arguably the best, fastest most intense division in the world? His stats are not that impressive, and although he has been a part of a championship winning side, he has no personal honours to his name. £9.1m is a hefty price for a player that has only played in Turkey, with only 1 cap to his name in the national team!
MY VERDICT: NO NO NO!! We need strength in depth granted, but my opinion is, we surely should be going for a higher standard of player than this, Brendan works well with younger players, and I am sure he can get the best out of ageing players also, but at 25 years old and the money being mentioned, I personally think we should stay clear, I believe he doesn’t improve what we already have in the team. Market value on this guy having researched is £2.5m, let that sink in! I believe there are better options out there, I also believe other areas need strengthening first. For me it’s a no thank you, but what do you Foxes think???
RATING: 3/10 – Not for me ta
Mark Heath
POSITION: CENTRAL MIDFIELD
AGE: 25
PRICE: £9.1m
PREVIOUS CLUBS: TRABZONSPOR
DATE LINKED: 22/07/2020
PROS: An ever present for Trabzonspor this season, with 3 goals and 3 assists in all competitions. He has managed to break into the Turkish national team but with only 1 appearance to his name. Prodominently a central midfielder, but can be utilised behind the forwards and in left of midfield.
At 25 years of age he has time on his hands, and the sort of profile that Brendan would relish working with?
CONS: Based in Turkey his whole career and for the majority albeit with a top side, but would he be able to make the switch to arguably the best, fastest most intense division in the world? His stats are not that impressive, and although he has been a part of a championship winning side, he has no personal honours to his name. £9.1m is a hefty price for a player that has only played in Turkey, with only 1 cap to his name in the national team!
MY VERDICT: NO NO NO!! We need strength in depth granted, but my opinion is, we surely should be going for a higher standard of player than this, Brendan works well with younger players, and I am sure he can get the best out of ageing players also, but at 25 years old and the money being mentioned, I personally think we should stay clear, I believe he doesn’t improve what we already have in the team. Market value on this guy having researched is £2.5m, let that sink in! I believe there are better options out there, I also believe other areas need strengthening first. For me it’s a no thank you, but what do you Foxes think???
RATING: 3/10 – Not for me ta
Mark Heath
