Steve Cooper’s time at Leicester City could have gone a lot differently if he got one player through the door.
Leicester City appointed Steve Cooper as a manager in July after Enzo Maresca opted to depart for Premier League giants, Chelsea.
The Englishman only managed 12 league matches at the King Power Stadium before he was sacked.
Cooper was rightly criticised by Leicester fans during his time at the club as results and performances were simply not good enough.
However, the club’s owners may need to take some of the blame for that as, for the most part, their recruitment has been poor for some time.
Leicester fans sent a clear message to Director of Football Jon Rudkin during the Brentford defeat in late November, stating: “We want Rudkin out!”
He has overseen the dismal recruitment over the last several years, which included the Foxes missing out on a striker over the summer.
- READ MORE: Leicester City gem spotted in first-team training before Newcastle after Ruud van Nistelrooy hint
Leicester City summer target Santiago Gimenez flying at Feyenoord
A number of strikers were tipped to make a move to the Midlands. Adam Hlozek was linked to the Foxes but he instead completed a transfer to German outfit Hoffenheim.
Elsewhere, Leicester rivaled Nottingham Forest for Santiago Gimenez toward the back end of the transfer window.
Cooper and co. made enquires for Gimenez but did not end up getting a deal over the line – a move they will surely regret now.
The 23-year-old ended up staying in the Eredivisie for the first half of 2024/25 and is now in top form.
The striker has made 11 appearances in all competitions so far this season, scoring an impressive seven goals and providing three assists, as per Transfermarkt.
In comparison, Leicester’s top scorer this season is Jamie Vardy with six, while the man the Foxes signed instead of Gimenez – Odsonne Edouard – still hasn’t found the back of the net in the Premier League this season.
Ruud van Nistelrooy on Leicester City January transfer plans
With Edouard proving a major flop, Foxes fans will surely want to see another forward signed in January.
And when speaking to the media ahead of the meeting with Newcastle, Van Nistelrooy provided an update on Leicester’s transfer plans.
He said: “It’s a continuous process. The way it’s organised in the club, I like it, the way everybody is preparing different possibilities. It’s whether we want to go for these options.
“We’re looking at different positions to prepare ourselves, but I’m also looking at the current players and the Under-21s.
“There’s young JJ (Jayden Joseph), there’s Henry (Cartwright). I have a good picture of what is needed in the window.”
If Edouard does leave the club, it will allow Leicester to sign a second Premier League player on loan as their two slots are currently taken up by the Crystal Palace man and Facundo Buonanotte.