Leicester City are keen to improve their squad after the transfer window officially opened on 1 January.
Ruud van Nistelrooy is going into his first window as Leicester manager and will be hoping for an active one as he eyes up new recruits.
Defenders appear to be the Foxes’ priority this winter and with the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules lurking in the background, Van Nistelrooy and co will no doubt be cautious when it comes to spending money.
There’s less than six months to go until the end of the season which means that some players are approaching the end of their contracts.
The Foxes could target these out of contract players in a bid to save on transfer fees and it appears that one Premier League defender fits into that category.
Leicester City monitoring Southampton star Kyle Walker-Peters
One defender that is of interest to Leicester is Southampton full-back Kyle Walker-Peters.
Sky Sports have claimed that the former Tottenham Hotspur youngster’s contract situation is being watched closely and the Foxes could be willing to pounce if the opportunity arises.
Walker-Peters has six months left on his contract and is yet to agree to new terms meaning that Leicester could wait until the summer to sign him for nothing or try their luck and bring him to the King Power Stadium now in a cut-price deal.
The 27-year-old, whose played 17 times in all competitions this season, is also free to talk to clubs outside of England and sign for them on a pre-contract agreement.
What is a pre-contract agreement?
A pre-contract agreement is a deal made between a player and a club that allows them to join once their contract expires.
Players who have less than six months on their current deal are free to talk to clubs outside of England and vice versa.
If an English club was to approach another English club the circumstances would be slightly different.
Teams can only approach players with a month left on their contract in this instance. This has been implemented to stop players facing teams they may have signed a pre-contract agreement with.
Clubs are also required to pay compensation if a player is under the age of 24.