Ruud van Nistelrooy is meticulously planning a successful transfer window that can see Leicester City climb to safety.
Leicester’s fifth straight Premier League defeat and Ipswich Town’s 2-2 draw against Fulham saw the Foxes remain in 19th position, two points from safety.
It’s been an abysmal run of form for Ruud van Nistelrooy’s men, and while they’ve played some of the league’s top sides, the challenge of staying in the top flight doesn’t get any easier.
Luckily, Leicester have plans to sign a defender this month to improve their awful defensive record while van Nistelrooy appears to be eyeing a new midfielder.
Leicester have shown an interest in Sean Longstaff, the Newcastle dynamo who could be made available, while Jakub Moder has also been linked to the Foxes.
A midfield signing isn’t on the list of priorities for many fans, although getting a player through the door could spell bad news for one out-of-favour ace.
Leicester City’s midfield interest is bad news for Oliver Skipp
With Leicester facing further punishment from the Premier League for their rash spending in seasons gone by, it’s ironic that the Foxes wasted more money in the summer.
One way they threw money down the drain was the signing of Oliver Skipp, who arrived from Tottenham for a £20m fee.
A deep-lying midfielder, who likes to dictate the tempo of a game, Skipp is similar in profile to Harry Winks but the latter has been preferred to start for most of this term.
Likewise, Boubakary Soumare and Wilfred Ndidi have been selected over the Englishman when fully fit, leaving him fighting for opportunities from the bench.
Indeed, Skipp has only started seven times in the Premier League and was even taken off at half-time in the 3-0 loss to Wolves.
Van Nistelrooy currently prefers a double pivot of Winks and Soumare over the 24-year-old, with the signing of a new midfielder and the return of Ndidi perhaps pushing him further down the pecking order.
What Ruud van Nistelrooy said about Skipp shows he can resurrect Leicester career
Steve Cooper’s signing of Skipp is looking like an error, with the playmaker failing to show signs of repaying the £20m price tag.
However, van Nistelrooy was impressed with his cameo from the bench against Brighton last month as Leicester salvaged a 2-2 draw.
Skipp played the pass into Bobby De Cordova Reid for Jamie Vardy’s goal and the Dutchman praised him as a “young talent” and a “great team player”.
“First of all, he’s a very good age, a young talented player with a bit of experience already in the Premier League,” van Nistelrooy explained. “He’s a great team player,” van Nistelrooy said via Leicester’s official website.
“The way he came on against Brighton, he helped the team progress in the second half towards the draw. He’s very dynamic and can trackback. He’s good on the ball, with the pass he played into Bobby [De Cordova-Reid] for Jamie [Vardy’s] goal.
“I’m very happy to have him around. We have injuries and suspensions, and he’s prepared to fill in whenever he’s needed.”
So, whilst transfer interest in a midfielder could well impact the minutes of Skipp, van Nistelrooy’s comments suggest he still has a lot to offer the Foxes.