Planning is now underway at Leicester City ahead of the January transfer window opening.
It’s a hectic period for new manager Ruud van Nistelrooy as he navigates through a myriad of festive fixtures while drawing up his January transfer plans.
The Leicester City manager needs to address several areas of his squad, including a short-term replacement for Abdul Fatawu who suffered a season-ending injury.
Most importantly, though, the Foxes need to acquire one or two new defenders. Leicester have been linked with Ben Godfrey, the versatile centre-back currently playing his football with Atalanta.
Godfrey, formerly of Everton, isn’t the only defensive player van Nistelrooy is eyeing ahead of next month with the Dutchman casting one eye on the future.
Leicester City join Newcastle in race to sign history-making defender Juma Bah
Leicester’s investment in the future is clear, recently naming 20-year-old Henry Cartwright on the bench against Newcastle last weekend.
The Foxes have also seen several other stars emerge through their academy, most notably Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Ben Chilwell and Harvey Barnes.
Now, they’re looking to sign a centre-back who could be the star of the future. According to Estadio Deportivo, Leicester are monitoring Real Valladolid’s Juma Bah alongside Premier League rivals Newcastle.
The 18-year-old, who arrived in La Liga during the summer on loan from Sierra Leone’s AIK Freetong, has been a regular since September.
The towering 6 ft 5 centre-back has featured nine times in the league and even made history by becoming Sierra Leone’s first-ever football to debut in La Liga.
As per the report, Bah’s ‘progression, strength and aerial play’ are qualities that make him an interesting prospect for the future and Leicester could rival the Magpies for his signature.
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Van Nistelrooy should prioritise signing a full-back
The addition of Bah would have the long-term thinking in mind but van Nistelrooy needs someone to come in and hit the ground running.
A central defender is, of course, on the agenda but van Nistelrooy is happy with his centre-back options, with Caleb Okoli, Jannik Vestergaard, Wout Faes and Conor Coady vying for a starting spot.
Arguably, Leicester need to prioritise signing a full-back to replace James Justin at right-back or Victor Kristiansen on the left.
This season, the long-term injury to Ricardo Pereira has caused the Foxes issues, and the form of Kristiansen and Justin has been worrying.
So, whilst no names have been mentioned as of yet, don’t be surprised if van Nistelrooy invests in a new full-back in January.