With Russell Martin as conductor, the Foxes' promotion train needs more coal for the fire. The transfer window will see Leicester City lose several high-ranking and talented players, leaving us with a small budget to recruit new signings. This is where youngsters from Premier League clubs with experience in and around League One could be invaluable to sign.
We have already reported on key players Martin should try to keep, as well as the reported link to former Ipswich Town stalwart Conor Chaplin. A new flurry of links has come to the foreground, with the expected departures of at least two or three senior defenders alongside the already departed Ricardo Pereira.
Leicester target defensive shake-up
The King Power Club has struggled with poor defending, a lack of real depth, in part due to injuries to players such as Harry Souttar, and has given out enormous contracts to players undeserving of the excessive remuneration. Those contracts are one of the reasons for Leicester to sell talents like Jannik Vestergaard.
In goal, we could be forgiven for considering replacing Jakub Stolarczyk as No.1, especially when we do not yet know if Asmir Begovic will stay on, either as a No.1 should the Pole be sold for profit, or a No.2 should another take the spot. Gavin Bazunu, though, is a difficult recruit to justify.
Having conceded 36 goals across 25 games for Southampton in the Championship last season, the goalkeeper has struggled in his time at St Mary's. Jo Tessem - a former Saint - criticised Bazunu for reacting too slowly to unfolding attacks, for poor positioning, and a lack of shot-stopping ability. This is backed by the underlying data: during their last Premier League campaign, the keeper conceded 16 more goals than expected; this carried into the Championship, which is why Will Still dropped him for a decade older player.
However, there is light at the other end of the tunnel for Gavin Bazunu. Despite his struggle to play at a side not capable of controlling matches or the flow of the ball, the goalkeeper ranks highly in terms of coming for crosses and undertaking defensive actions outside of his penalty area. With his feet, the Irishman is composed and technically capable of playing out from the back. For this stylistic reason, Leicester might look for this signing if they expect to dominate possession and be forced into incessant recycling of the ball.
At the back, we would hope the Foxes retain Ben Nelson and Harry Souttar to form the towering core of Leicester City's League One defence and set-piece attack. However, should the expected departures come, the King Power Club will need to bring in some depth without breaking the bank. Those listed include Max Alleyne and Sonny Aljofree.
The 20-year-old English defender Alleyne is one of the cultured crop of Manchester City defenders coming through the ranks after joining from Southampton. In Manchester, the centre-back has been able to study from John Stones, trained and studied to follow in his footsteps as a possession-supporting, proactive defender. That has been illustrated by a 93.8% passing success rate: a good return for a CB. This makes him the perfect suited to how Leicester want to develop going forward, and could provide the depth necessary.
The 21-year-old CB Aljofree is another possession-based defender. He developed through Manchester United's academy and has been out on loan consistently, in the lower leagues, performing admirably and showcasing why he would suit a lower-league Leicester with future potential. At Notts County, he was noted for his aggressive defensive mentality - rushing forward and challenging for the ball - and his technical passing range, allowing him to distribute the ball out wide well for wing-backs and wingers. This is something the Foxes have recently struggled with.
In short, Bazunu is being considered to support the recycling of possession in a possession-dominant side and helping out defensively when most players are high up the pitch; Alleyne will offer Leicester City a proactive and technically capable defender who has trained in elite facilities with some elite players; and Aljofree would bring that aggression to disrupt, which we have lacked. The three may not be exciting, yet they will offer promise and depth.
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