Ruud van Nistelrooy will soon get an opportunity to put his mark on Leicester City with the opening of the winter transfer window fast approaching.
The countdown is on to the start of January when clubs will have an opportunity to do business again. And it could be an interesting month at the King Power Stadium.
The rumour mill has already kicked into gear ahead of the window opening. We've taken a look at the latest and more intriguing transfer news and gossip revolving around the Foxes....
Defender deal?
City are said to have their sights set on a swoop for young Argentine Valentin Gomez. According to The Sun, a “shock move” is being lined up for the centre-back, who plays for Velez Sarsfeld in his homeland.
A fee of around £8 million is mooted, with City “hopeful” of agreeing a deal. The player himself is said to be primed for a switch to Europe and his club are seemingly prepared to let him go.
The 21-year-old has been a first-team regular in recent seasons after coming up through the ranks at his club. He has also been captain of his country’s uinder-20s team.
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Transfer advice
On-loan attacker Facundo Buonanotte has urged former teammate Alejo Veliz to make the switch to the King Power Stadium, if only to learn from his striker colleague Jamie Vardy. Brighton and Hove Albion loanee Buonanotte has been a hit for the Foxes this season, contributing to six of City’s league goals in his 13 appearances.
The 19-year-old has been working up close with Vardy, who agreed terms to remain at the club at the end of last term. The veteran forward has clearly made an impression on Buonanotte, who is good pals with Veliz.
Veliz is spending the campaign on loan at La Liga outfit Espanyol from Tottenham Hotspur. The 21-year-old has been told Vardy would be the perfect role model to take tips from.
“I would tell Tanque (Alejo) Véliz to come here to learn from Jamie Vardy. He is on loan but now he is at Tottenham, so I think he knows about this. During the time we were at Central we made a nice duo,” Buonanotte told Ole, as relayed by Sport Witness.
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Centre-back eyed
Lens may have to sell up-and-coming centre-back Abdukodir Khusanov this January and City are one of the clubs who would look to take advantage, according to L’Equipe. That’s if they’re willing to part with €25m to €30m (£21m-£25m).
The French side are looking to balance their books and rake in €44m in January, and feel Khusanov is the man that can get them there quickest. It’s not just City, who played against him in pre-season, who are taking a look at the 20-year-old. Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United and RB Leipzig are also reported to be keen.
The Uzbekistan international has become a key player for Lens this campaign, a year after he moved from Energetik-BGU in Belarus, and has played 15 of their 17 games, only missing two through a red-card suspension. An excellent reader of the game, Khusanov has impressive interceptions stats, while he’s also strong in the air and quick across the ground too.
It’s not definite that he’s sold though. Lens are only looking to part with one of their two first-choice centre-backs to avoid too much disruption, with Khusanov’s partner Kevin Danso also being targeted.
Teenager targeted
Khusanov is not the only young centre-back City have been linked to in recent days. Real Valladolid’s 18-year-old Juma Bah is also on their radar, according to Spanish outlet Estadio Deportivo.
Newcastle are also taking a look at the teenager, who has had a rapid rise to the top. Only signed out of his home nation Sierra Leone in the summer, he was initially picked up by Valladolid to play for their B team. But he impressed to the point that he’s now a regular in La Liga.
He’s had plenty of defending to do too, with Valladolid battling relegation, but he’s impressed, particularly in the air, where his 6ft 5in frame has allowed him to dominate. It would be a surprise if he was being targeted by City as a starter though, as he’s only played a handful of senior matches in Europe in his career.
Plus, Van Nistelrooy has publicly said he's fairly happy with his centre-back options. He's said he has a "great luxury" with Conor Coady, Jannik Vestergaard, Wout Faes, and Caleb Okoli to choose from.
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