In the middle of the kit announcement season, after the apocalyptic crash into League One, and during a vital transfer window, the King Power Club desperately needs to start bringing in fresh faces to replace those lost. There are several positions of key interest.
In midfield, with Harry Winks and two loanee stars having departed, there is space for one signing to make a positive impact. Up front, the absence of any senior strikers makes a signing there a priority. At the back, though, with Victor Kristiansen and Ricardo Pereira already departed, added to the possibility of more defensive exits, we will need a defender capable of fitting into our redefined shape.
This is where Luke Chambers comes into the picture. The 22-year-old Englishman has already been involved at a senior level on loan at Charlton Athletic from Liverpool, illustrating he might be able to take the step up and support a possession-based and - hopefully - dominant side in retaining possession and creating chances. Here is what you need to know.
The Versatile Left-footer
Different sites categorise him in different positions. This makes the player a rather interesting case to explore why the Foxes might find a player of his technical quality, positional flexibility, and modern physical profile impactful. Charlton Athletic used Chambers as either a left-sided centre-back or a left-sided wing-back, and he has performed previously in a defensive midfield position and a more traditional fullback position.
This fits the preferred fullback of the modern era: someone who is comfortable on the ball, comfortable in a few positions, yet still capable of doing the basics of a defender. We have lacked someone with that flexibility outside of Pereira, with Luke Thomas being more of a traditional defender with some overlapping sensibilities and Kristiansen being too aggressive to successfully defend when Leicester are in control.
The Englishman is a composed defender, calm at receiving the ball under pressure, and capable of carrying or passing that ball out of pressure. This is vital in retaining the ball, building out from the back, and in allowing your more progressive and creative talents to stay further forward for a faster transition to attack. Additionally, being able to run out wide and get an early cross in, Chambers offers Leicester City an option in chance creation they seldom get: a floated early ball into the box.
Defensively, the left-sided defender is a proactive disruptor. Often, Luke Chambers will step out from the defensive line to pressure a winger or oncoming midfielder; this does have the downside of leaving more open space out wide, usually, but the benefit is creating a backline that reacts to threats before they get the 'final pass'. Plus, if the player does win the ball, his comfort in carrying benefits a swift transition.
The likelihood is that this player would arrive on loan rather than a permanent transfer. I would love a 'loan with option to buy' so we have an opportunity should Chambers perform well for Leicester; however, it remains to be seen if the player who played for Charlton would be allowed to come down to League One, the only benefit to Liverpool being if they seek to retain him, the player would develop with a better group of players here in the East Midlands.
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