With the 2023/24 Championship fixtures being announced yesterday, attention will now turn to summer transfer business. Leicester City are expected to construct a massive rebuild including plenty of outgoings and a host of incomings.
Leicester City need new signings and fast!
Enzo Maresca will be keen to stamp his identity and style of play on the squad by signing players that will fit his system. With the season starting in less than six weeks against Coventry City on August 6, there is a lot of business to be sorted in the meantime. We have taken a look at who we think would be best suited to Leicester City, here are our picks!
Carlos Borges (Manchester City)
When Enzo Maresca was appointed Foxes fans were buoyed by the prospect of signing a couple of Man City academy prospects on loan. With Harvey Barnes set to leave the club and Tete finishing his loan spell, Maresca’s men are left with only one out-and-out winger in Marc Albrighton.
Carlos Borges would fill the void left by Harvey Barnes perfectly. The Portuguese winger was named PL2 Player of the Season after scoring 21 goals and setting up 10 in 24 matches last season.
The winger is tipped to follow in the steps of Cole Palmer and Phil Foden and break into the Man City first team, but to do that he may have to prove himself elsewhere first. The Foxes face stiff competition for his signature from East Midlands rivals Nottingham Forest.
Cesare Casadei (Chelsea)
With Youri Tielemans leaving this summer and the likely departures of Dennis Praet and Wilfred Ndidi, the East Midlands club are struggling for squad depth in midfield. Maresca will have to replace the outgoing Tielemans with another box-to-box midfielder.
The Italian manager is reported to be opting for a 4-3-3 formation, if reports are to be believed and Casadei could be a good fit. The midfielder spent last season on loan in the Championship at Reading, where he scored one goal in 15 matches. With Chelsea expected to spend big again this summer, his services may not be needed.
Fabrizio Romano reported that the 20-year-old would not be sold this summer, but the club are open to loan deals. With the offer of first-team football, the West London side could be tempted to sanction a move to the East Midlands.
Conor Coady (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
With the future of club veteran Jonny Evans up in the air, after the Northern Irishman was included on the released list, Leicester City will need to recruit an experienced centre-half. The Wolves defender, who spent the season on loan at Everton, would add a wealth of experience to a backline which struggled to keep the goals out last season.
The question is whether Coady could be persuaded to drop down into the Championship amid interest from Premier League clubs including Sheffield United.
Tom Cairney (Fulham)
James Maddison looks set to leave the King Power Stadium this summer with Newcastle United, Tottenham and Manchester City all linked with a move for the England international. Replacing him is always going to be a tough task given the fact he made 19 goal contributions last season (10G+9A).
But Cairney could prove to be a very good replacement. The Scottish international struggled to nail down a place in the starting 11 for Fulham this season as he made most of his appearances from the bench.
However, the 32-year-old would bring a wealth of Championship experience to a squad with very little. The attacking midfielder has played 318 games in the Championship scoring 45 goals and setting up 51. Cairney would also bring experience in promotion campaigns having been part of three with Fulham.
Samuele Vignato (AC Monza)
This player may be relatively unknown to the majority of fans but could be a player that catches the eye of Maresca. Vignato is a 19-year-old who plays for Serie A side Monza and had been capped by the Italian youth teams.
Vignato has a very similar profile to Maddison, he can play in the middle, just behind the striker or he can play as an inverted right-winger. At just 19, the midfielder has a high ceiling and is the type of player that Maresca could take under his wing and develop him into a star.
The Italian’s minutes in Serie A have been limited this season playing just 57 minutes all season. But he has impressed on international duty, scoring five and setting up three in 11 matches. Vignato could come in and provide much-needed depth, while also developing under a coach with a youth development background and mindset.