Leicester City have certainly bolstered their ranks with the eleventh-hour captures of Jamaal Lascelles and Divine Mukasa. LCFC social media confirmed the Premier League duo well after the winter transfer window officially slammed shut. While the 7:00pm deadline had long passed, the East Midlanders utilised the EFL’s 'deal sheet' mechanism to navigate a backlog of paperwork. Announcements were finally made on Tuesday morning to the relief of a frustrated King Power faithful.
Leicester City add pair of signings on day after transfer deadline passes
The headline arrival is supposedly veteran Newcastle United centre back Jamaal Lascelles. He ends a storied eleven-year tenure on Tyneside to join the Foxes on a permanent short-term deal.
At 32, Lascelles brings much-needed leadership to a defensive unit that has remarkably failed to keep a clean sheet in 24 consecutive Championship fixtures. Despite concerns over his recent fitness following an ACL injury, and slightly unconfident ball play for a top flight player, his experience is viewed as vital.
LCFC have a pretty much depleted or incompetent backline. Of course, injuries to Jannik Vestergaard and Harry Souttar have further placed the defence in jeopardy.
Moving on, and complementing the veteran's grit is the technical flair of Divine Mukasa. The 18-year-old joins on loan from Manchester City; he's an attacking midfielder regarded as one of the brightest prospects at the Etihad.
Before arriving, Mukasa penned a fresh contract with the EPL outfit. The England Under-19 international is expected to fill the creative void left by injuries to Jordan James and Aaron Ramsey.
More deals
These late moves signal a desperate but necessary roll of the dice for a club currently drifting in the bottom half of the English Football League Championship table. Beforehand on Monday, the Foxes signed Joe Aribo from Southampton; who is a versatile midfielder. Dujuan Richards is expected to be welcomed from Chelsea as well.