The January transfer window opens up opportunities for Ruud van Nistelrooy to strengthen his Leicester City squad.
Improvements are certainly needed after van Nistelrooy watched his Leicester side crumble over the Christmas period.
The Foxes tasted three defeats on the bounce against Newcastle, Liverpool and Manchester City while conceding nine goals in the process.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 19 |  LeicesterLeicester | 19 | 3 | 5 | 11 | 22 | 42 | -20 | 14 |
Key:
Position 1 – 4 : Champions LeaguePosition 5 : UEFA Europa League
Position 18 – 20 : Relegation
With the league’s joint-worst defence alongside Wolves, centre-backs have been linked with Leicester and the door could now be open for van Nistelrooy to sign one European star.
- READ MORE: There’s now no chance Leicester City gem will leave in January but another player will depart
Atalanta make Leicester City target Ben Godfrey available to sign
Supporters have seen many names get linked with a move to the King Power Stadium in the past month or so.
In the middle of December, it was reported that Leicester wanted to sign Ben Godfrey, who joined Serie A giants Atalanta from Everton for £10m in the summer.
The Englishman moved to the title challengers in a potentially career-defining transfer however, the 26-year-old has played just 93 minutes across all competitions and only once in the league.
Godfrey could push for a move out of Italy as a result and return to the Premier League, with Fabrizio Romano revealing the former Everton defender is no longer a part of their project and has been left out of the Super Cup squad list.
Godfrey, who was once dubbed ‘outstanding’ by Rio Ferdinand, will perhaps be attracted by a return to the Premier League and the numbers prove why he would be a great signing.
Godfrey’s statistics suggest van Nistelrooy could land a defensive upgrade
The January transfer window must go right for Leicester, otherwise, they’re facing down the barrel at an immediate return to the Championship.
Targeting a centre-back is near the top of his list of priorities and signing Godfrey would be an upgrade on several of his current options, including Conor Coady, Jannik Vestergaard, Wout Faes and Caleb Okoli.
As per FBref, Godfrey ranks in the top 1% of defenders across Europe in the past year for clearances and the top 3% for aerials won.
Ben Godfrey’s defensive statistics per 90 in the past year
- 2.44 tackles
- 1.18 interceptions
- 1.18 blocks
- 4.54 clearances
- 2.02 aerials won
The ball-playing defender, who has made over a century of appearances in the Premier League, has also amassed 0.14 for non-penalty xG per 90 and 1.26 shots, placing him in the top 4% and top 6% respectively.
Indeed, van Nistelrooy should strike while the iron is hot and attempt to sign Godfrey permanently from Atalanta, ending his miserable six-month spell.