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After the heady heights of last season’s maiden Premier League title success Leicester have been bought back down to Earth this time around with their defence of the trophy being one that is almost non existent. The task in hand was always going to be difficult but now it seems that the challenge will be to stay out of the bottom three.
You could argue that Leicester’s transfer business over the Summer has let them down somewhat. A first eleven that gave their all on their way to becoming Champions is now looking slightly jaded and the new faces that were bought in to add to the squad have not quite made their mark yet.
They reportedly had around £30m to spend in this January transfer window and half of that has already gone on Wilfred Ndidi from Genk. But with £15m still available to spend that might not be the last bit of business that Claudio Ranieri carries out this month.
So let’s now take a look at three players who could be on their way to The King Power Stadium
Francesco Acerbi
Last season Leicester were built on a bedrock of Wes Morgan and Robert Huth. Their centre back partnership played a key role on their way to the title last season but the performances of Morgan and Huth have not hit the same heights this time around.
Some would point to the fact that they are looking a little jaded and that partnership could perhaps do with some freshening up. One man who may be able to add some competition to the defensive ranks is that of Italian Francesco Acerbi.
The 28 year old Italian international has been monitored by his countryman Claudio Ranieri and the Leicester boss is now ready to make contact with his current club Sassoulo in a bid to earn his signature. It is believed that a fee of £11m would be enough to bring Acerbi to Leicester.
If he is to move to the East Midlands then Ranieri is going to have to turn on the charm offensive as a number of Italian clubs including Inter Milan are also monitoring Acerbi’s situation with keen interest.
Michael Keane
If Claudio Ranieri cannot convince his compatriot Francesco Acerbi to move to the club then he may well look closer to home in the form of a Premier League defender whose side sit currently just a few places above Leicester in the table.
The man in question is Michael Keane of Burnley. Keane who has been an ever present in the league this season has been attracting the interest of a number of clubs over the past few months with his performances being a big reason as to why Sean Dyche’s side have stayed away from the drop zone.
But you would have to anticipate that Burnley would be loathed to sell arguably their key player to a side that is competing with them in a bid to stay up this season. As always though money talks and Keane will just about fall into Leicester’s affordable price range.
Should Leicester be prepared to test the waters with a bid of around £15m then Burnley may well find the move hard to turn down especially as the England Under 21 international is yet to sign a new contract. Leicester may well be ready to pounce on any uncertainty that Keane has in regards to committing his long term future to the Lancashire club
Mamadou Sahko
Should Leicester be able to find another few million in an already hefty bank account then another Premier League target may well become a possibility. That’s because Liverpool have placed a £20m price tag on French international Mamadou Sahko.
Sahko has not featured since April for Liverpool due to a combination of off the field issues. Firstly he was served with a 30 day ban from UEFA due to a doping offence and then he was sent home by Jurgen Klopp during Liverpool’s Pre-Season tour of the USA.
The 26 year old signed a new contract at Anfield as recently as 2015 but it’s fair to say that his days on Merseyside are now numbered and with Liverpool naming their price it’s now a case of not if but when Sahko moves to a new club.
He may come with some baggage but in today’s market he presents himself as decent value. Although it would use up all of Leicester’s remaining transfer budget and a little bit more you get the feeling that the extra outlay would be money well spent what with Leicester nervously looking over their shoulder in terms of a relegation fight.
