Leicester transfer news: Deals still to be done

There may be other departures too as the Foxes look to trim their squad. Six  players who have not featured at all in the starting 11 – Boubakary Soumare, Patson Daka, Harry Souttar, Daniel Iversen, Danny Ward and Luke Thomas – may also leave. Soumare has been linked with Sevilla, Daka with Bournemouth, Souttar with Rangers and Thomas with Leeds. Less likely, but not impossible, departures include Jannik Vestergaard, Wot Faes and Kelechi Inheanacho. These latter three would represent significant losses since they have been integral to Maresca’s first team although Coady will presumably replace Vestergaard in the back line when he is back from injury.

Any further incomings are likely to depend on departures. The club is well stocked at full back but if any of the centre backs leave a replacement is likely to be sought. On that score, Leicester may well try to thrash out a loan deal for Taylor Harwood-Bellis, a Manchester City youngster who was with Burnley last season. A replacement for Ndidi if sold – such as the QPR midfielder Ilias Chair – might also happen.

The departures are to be welcomed. At present, the Foxes squad is too big – only 25 players can be registered for the Championship – and expensive. The club still needs to trim its wage bill if it is comply with the Championship’s financial regulations, which are much more strict than those operating in the Premier League, and to account for the massive drop in income caused by relegation.

Whatever happens this week, Leicester is still likely to have the strongest squad in English football’s second tier. It includes four full England internationals: Jamie Vardy, Conor Coady, Harry Winks and James Justin. Together with the other additions and the remaining players, who were plying their trade in the Premier League last season, LCFC supporters should be able to look forward to a good campaign.