Leicester need to reduce the wage bill and at the same time keep the quality needed to push for promotion. Seven players are gone, Jonny Evans is in talks over a new deal. Several players on heavy deals could be leaving as they all will trigger funds to use on new recruits.
Looking at the job done at Burnley last season, you need a copy / paste of that scenario, as they also changed manager and did the necessary changes to build a good squad and quality enough to get back up.
TCF predicts four sales to take place as sales will be done to fund new signing, one of them could be Tom Cairney, as a move from Fulham is said to be possible. We have listed the Fulham midfielder as cool, looking at the 32 year old as a very interesting player that could be valuable in a promotion push.
The job for a new manager is to build a team here and now that can produce what is needed, and not look at the future in the same way as before. Ryan Manning is a name that has occured as a possible player to add. He is a proven player at Championship level, but then a decision must be made regarding Victor Kristiansen and Luke Thomas, as all are contenders for the left back position.
Victor Kristiansen has said he is committed to the job of getting Leicester back to Premier League, but still doubts about his ability, and a new manager needs to decide on several issues in building a good quality squad for a promotion push.
Burnley last season made crucial moves in and out, as they also waved goodbye to players such as Nick Pope, Nathan Collins, Ben Mee, Erik Pieters, James Tarkowski, Wayne Hennessey, Dwight McNeill, Maxwell Cornet, Kevin Long and Ashley Westwood. Matt Lowton and Wout Weghorst were two experienced players loaned out, so in all 12 players from the Premier League relegation season left the club.
They did see potentially heavy fees lost as James Tarkowski and Ben Mee left on free transfers, but could add up good transfer fees for Nathan Collins, Dwight McNeill and Maxwell Cornet.
A core group was kept with players such as Ashley Barnes, Charlie Taylor, Bailey Peacock-Farrell, Jay Rodrigues, Connor Roberts, Johann Berg Gudmundsson, Josh Brownhill and Jack Cork among those to see continuity as well being part of the new project.
Shrewd loan moves made, adding Jordan Beyer (Gladbach), Ian Maatsen (Chelsea), Nathan Tella (Southampton) and Taylor Harwood-Bellis (Man City).
Burnley also invested in permanent signings such as Vitinho, Scott Twine, Samuel Bastien, Arijanet Muric, Josh Cullen, Manuel Benson and Anass Zoroury.
The job is to build a well balanced squad with a core group of 17 to 18 players fighting for a starting position and also have at least 4 more hungry young players being able to play if called up on. This is the formula going forward, as Leicester also needs to look at possible loan additions to avoid too many big money moves that are not certain first teamers.
Goalkeepers; Daniel Iversen is the preferred first choice, Danny Ward should be shipped out and sold, Smithies given a chance to leave if he finds a new club and give the cover goalkeeper job to Jacub Stolarczyk.
Defenders; If possible get most of the foreign brigade out, and hopefully keeping Faes, Justin, Evans, Souttar and Thomas, as well as having an option to sign a central defender on loan and adding a left back, then you have Joe Wormleighton and Ben Nelson that could be in contention.
Midfield; Hopefully able to keep Ndidi, Dewsbury-Hall and Bouba Soumare, adding one experienced offensive midfielder and also considering taking Hamza Choudhury back into a role, and then have Sammy Braybrooke, Will Alves, Marcal-Madivadua and Brandon Cover among they young players to consider.
Forwards; Jamie Vardy, Kelechi Iheanacho, Marc Albrighton should be given a chance to stay, and then add maybe one or two new players, with a certain Tawanda Maswanhise also in the frame.
This would probably be enough to sort out a promotion push, and hopefully not have to many options to sort out a good eleven without too many changes over a season.
List of possible transfer departures;
- Danny Ward, £5million
- Ricardo Pereira, £12million
- Timothy Castagne, £17million
- Patson Daka, £12million
- Victor Kristiansen (loan)
- James Maddison, £40million
- Dennis Praet, £7million
- Harvey Barnes, £30million
- Alex Smithies, Free
List of possible squad
- Goalkeepers
- Daniel Iversen
- Jacub Stolarscyk
- Defenders
- James Justin
- Jonny Evans
- Wout Faes
- Harry Souttar
- Joe Wormleighton
- Luke Thomas
- New – Left Back
- Loan – Central Defender
- Midifeld
- Hamza Choudhury
- Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall
- Bouba Soumare
- New – Offensvie Midfielder
- Wilfred Nididi
- Sammy Braybrooke
- Forwards
- Kelechi Iheanacho
- Jamie Vardy
- Marc Albrighton
- New – Flank
- Loan – Flank
- Tawanda Maswanhise
22 players with ability to play a part in a push for promotion.
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