January is just around the corner, and for Leicester City, it could be the ideal time to refuel in their quest for promotion.
So far, Leicester City’s bid for an immediate return to the Premier League is right on track.
Despite back-to-back defeats before the international break, Leicester City remain in 1st place of the Championship table, and already eight points ahead of Leeds United in 3rd.
Whilst the Foxes have earned high praise for their performances so far this season, there are perhaps one or two areas on the pitch which could do with bolstering.
Maresca keen on a left-sided defender
One of Enzo Maresca‘s best players this season, at least up until his injury, was Callum Doyle.
The Leicester boss used his Manchester City connections to bring the impressive defender in on loan, but Doyle has since been ruled out for up to four months with an injury.
And writing in a recent Leicester City Q&A for Leicestershire Live, journalist Jordan Blackwell has suggested that Maresca might look to bring in a left-sided defender in the January transfer window, to compensate for the loss of Doyle.
Blackwell wrote:
“I think they will look to do so, yes. But whether they will, I’m not as confident. The key thing is that they’re not in a desperate situation, and so there’s not a great need for them to do any deals. If a transfer or a loan isn’t right, they won’t do it.
“But, saying that, I think Maresca will be particularly keen to bring in a left-sided defender. He has sung Justin’s praises in filling in for Doyle, but I do think it’s upset the way he wants to play that he doesn’t have Doyle there serving passes into midfield.”
Blackwell also highlighted Doyle’s progressive passing, which his replacement Justin James is not able to provide in the same quantity.
The search begins…
With January little over a month away, expect clubs in the Championship to be quickly compiling a list of potential transfer targets, with Leicester no exception.
And the Foxes could yet have some spending money after their summer dales of James Maddison and Harvey Barnes, so it could be an exciting month for the club.
Like Blackwell says, Doyle’s injury has put a bit of a spanner in the works for Maresca who would no doubt love to have Doyle fit again.
But with the player only on loan, he’ll eventually need replacing anyway, and his injury gives Maresca and Leicester City a good excuse to bring in a like-for-like player in January, and on a permanent deal.
There’ll be suitable candidates out there but they’ll have to fall in line with Leicester’s demands, with the Foxes still unlikely to spend huge amounts despite making a tidy profit in the summer.
And for Doyle, a new defender coming in could make his route back into the XI tricky.