The last occasion in which Leicester City made a permanent transfer in the January transfer window was all the way back in 2018. So it was no surprise that Foxes fans were overjoyed when the club announced the £17.5 million signing of 20-year-old Danish left-back Victor Kristiansen. With City seemingly being dragged into a dogged relegation fight it does beg the question who exactly has Brendan Rodgers spent this fee on and how will he aid this current struggling Leicester side.
In order to try and understand the complete scope of Kristiansen’s capabilities FoL spoke to Danish Superliga reporter and Chief editor of Vilfort Park, Toke Theilade. The Superliga has been a hotbed for young talents of recent years with the likes of Mohammed Kudas now at Ajax and most recently 18-year-old Andreas Schjeielderup transferring to Benfica for an estimate £12 million. It is a selling league; however this is not necessarily the case for the FC Copenhagen. As Toke explains:
"“That is also part of what makes Victor Kristiansen special. He grew up in Copenhagen and obviously they are a selling club, they are not the biggest fish in Europe, but they are also by far the most ambitious in club in all of Scandinavia. Their main goal is to qualify for the European group stages… that means they are much more competitive they are not going to play a youngster so that they can sell them for them more. If they are playing a youngster its because he is the best (in that position) and that gives them the best chance to win. So, Kristiansen getting his breakthrough this early at Copenhagen is really a sign of high quality, you really have to earn a spot there.“"
There is so often an element of the lights being too bright when individuals arrive in the Premier league, this is Toke’s thoughts how Kristiansen will cope with the pressures of the league:
"“Obviously moving from Denmark to Premier League is quite a big step. In terms of pace and in terms of size and everything. But he’s already coming from, arguably the biggest club in, Scandinavia. So, he’s used to pressure, and he’s used to very demanding fans who expect him to perform well and expect him to win every single game. The pressure one of the things that most Danish players struggle with when they move abroad from smaller clubs. But Kristiansen will not have that issue coming from Copenhagen.”"
With the TV time of FC Copenhagen in the U.K being limited (other than Champions League games here and there) it is difficult to identify an accurate profile of the player, I asked Toke about his playing-style and what attributes he possess.:
"“He’s really good defensively, he’s not one of these wingbacks, where you see them being moved back from the wing and then they’re now defenders… He had the ninth most tackles in the Superliga of this season of all players. He’s really hard to beat one-on-one. He’s relatively big. He’s relatively fast for a defender, he’s quite strong physically. Another big strength is that he is a very smart player.“"
A great defensive full-back will be a very welcome addition to a Leicester side where Luke Thomas has been having a difficult campaign to say the least, with some fans thinking it be best for the academy graduate to have a loan spell in the Championship, not only to maximise playing time but to also to help develop the 21-year-old physically. Seemingly an issue LCFC shouldn’t have with Kristiansen in that role instead.
Although there could be questions from some whether these sorts of numbers and capabilities will translate over to the Premier League and to a team currently in the position City find them. Well, his numbers in the Champions League in fact mirror Toke’s claims as well as proving that he can perform under high pressurized contests and up against elite opposition.
Kristiansen ranked in the 99th percentile for blocks per 90 (minutes); in the 90th for tackles per 90 and in the 81st for clearances per 90; throughout the group stage of the Champions League. Those are extremely telling stats considering that FC Copenhagen’s group consisted of Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund and Sevilla – arguably the toughest of the entire tournament. So, with him recording numbers like that it should be extremely promising for Leicester fans that he can replicate such performances.
Despite evidently being a very solid defender, does he have the capabilities of being able to play in a possession-based side, which is what is required to be able play in a Rodgers team. I asked Toke whether this is the case. Here’s what he had to say,
"“Yes, he is very comfortable on the ball. He is a good passer, good technique. You are probably not going to see him make silly mistakes like losing possession or bad passes. They (FC Copenhagen) are controlling possession in games really at all times. So, they cannot have any players who are not comfortable with the ball. I think he should be just fine in that system. He is really, in my eyes, a complete full back. Capable of doing everything.“"
It is safe to say that if these performances can be replicated in a Leicester City shirt then the Dane will be a fan-favourite in no time and will contribute immensely to the clubs immediate future.