When a manager enters their first transfer window with a new club, they often turn to players they know, those they can rely upon to make a quick impact.
That might be the case for Ruud van Nistelrooy at Leicester City this January as he looks to guide the club to survival. Recruitment chief Martyn Glover and his staff will have put together lists of targets, but van Nistelrooy may have his own ideas.
And that may mean picking up the phone and calling his former colleagues at Manchester United and PSV Eindhoven. Here, we run down five players he could look to team up with again at the King Power Stadium...
Harry Amass
The 17-year-old left-back is yet to make his Manchester United debut but he’s been around the first-team squad for some time and was a star of their pre-season campaign, praised for his tough-tackling and support down the left channel. Van Nistelrooy included him on his bench for three of his four of his interim matches in charge.
With the likes of Diogo Dalot, Noussair Mazraoui and Tyrell Malacia for Ruben Amorim to choose from, it will be difficult for Amass to get a chance. Steve Cooper was looking at a new left-back and it may be an area Van Nistelrooy feels need working on too.
But is a 17-year-old the answer? In any case, a loan is more likely, and that would mean City having to cancel Odsonne Edouard’s season-long switch from Crystal Palace due to Premier League rules.
Victor Lindelof
United are well-stocked for centre-back, even with Amorim's preference to use three at a time, and it seems Lindelof is last in the pecking order, behind Lisandro Martinez, Matthijs de Ligt, Leny Yoro, Jonny Evans and Harry Maguire. There are reports he is up for sale as he enters the final six months of his contract at Old Trafford.
The Swedish international's only two 90-minute outings this season came under van Nistelrooy, but he may have played the full game in the Carabao Cup against Spurs in midweek if he not limped out with an injury. The severity of that problem will play a part in City's potential interest.
Armando Obispo
A left-footed centre-back, something City don’t currently have in their squad, Obispo was a regular under Van Nistelrooy until a knee injury ruled him out of the end of the campaign. He’s struggled to make himself a starter in the 12 or so months since he recovered.
So maybe a fresh start is required and maybe City can offer him that. He looks like a good passer of the ball and reads play well.
Mauro Junior
The left-back didn’t play often during Van Nistelrooy’s season in charge at PSV because of a couple of injuries, but he’s since built himself into a key player for the club and has featured in all of their Champions League fixtures. He’s played in a variety of roles too, with Junior also able to feature at right-back and in defensive midfield.
That versatility, and his ability as an all-around good footballer could mean there is interest in the 25-year-old Brazilian. Plus, he’s out of contract next summer, and so that makes a January move potentially pretty cheap.
Johan Bakayoko
He’s one of PSV’s big names and it will be difficult, and expensive, for a club like City to get him. But what may help is that the Belgian winger is Van Nistelrooy’s man.
The manager brought him through the ranks in PSV’s youth teams and was the first boss to make him a regular at senior level. A supreme ball-carrier, the 21-year-old is starting to contribute more consistently inside the box too, and he has six goals and three assists in 21 games this season.
Would any of these players be good for City? Click HERE to have your say
Join our Foxes WhatsApp community for breaking news direct to your phone
LeicestershireLive is launching its very own Leicester City WhatsApp community to deliver the latest Foxes news straight to your phone
We are sending breaking news, interviews, opinion and top stories directly to the community, and we want you to be part of it. Users who want to join must have WhatsApp downloaded to their phone. Joining is easy – just click here and select ‘Join Community’ to get started.
No one will be able to see your personal information in the community and you will only receive messages from the LeicestershireLive sports team. We will not spam your WhatsApp feed with constant messages, but you will receive updates from us daily with the latest City stories.
If for some reason you decide you no longer want to be in our community, you can leave at any time by clicking on the name at the top of your screen and clicking 'Exit Group'. It's as simple as that.
Join our new WhatsApp community! Click this link to receive your daily dose of City content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.