Plenty can and will happen in the two months until the transfer window opens. For one, Leicester City’s fate, whether survival or relegation, will be determined.
What City will need, what they can afford, and who they can entice will be determined by the division they are in, by the players that are sold, and by the manager’s plans.
To ensure they have a successful transfer window, City need to be prepared for every eventuality, and have shortlists of targets for all positions.
But, right now, which areas of the team are looking like the possible priorities to strengthen? Here’s a rundown of the key positions as things stand.
Striker
Odsonne Edouard will head back to Crystal Palace, Patson Daka could be sold with just 12 months remaining on his contract, and while 38-year-old Jamie Vardy will be fit enough to keep playing, his incredible career at the King Power may end at the expiry of his contract this summer, especially if the club are relegated.
There is a real possibility that the three strikers City have right now won’t be here for next season. If so, it becomes the priority position to strengthen.
City have Jake Evans scoring for fun for the Under-21s and, at 16, he looks to have a very bright future, but he can’t be relied on to be the main man.
He plays wide right too and that may be deemed his best position, rather than up front.
A team’s success is so often dependent on having a reliable goalscorer, and signing one or two this summer is going to be integral to City’s success next season.
Goalkeeper
Danny Ward and Daniel Iversen are out of contract and it would be a surprise if either were to extend their stays into another campaign.
Mads Hermansen, having proven his credentials as first-rate modern goalkeeper over the past couple of years, could be targeted for a summer transfer, and City may be open to a sale no matter which division they’re in if a decent fee is put forward.
That would leave just Jakub Stolarczyk. The Pole’s displays as stand-in provide hope that he could be a future number one, maybe even as soon as next season.
City would need to make that decision, and then build a new goalkeeping unit around him.
Attacking midfield
Bilal El Khannouss has proven himself to be a very talented footballer and is only 20 years old. It would not be a surprise if he attracted summer interest but it’s not a certainty that he will leave, even if City fall into the Championship.
But with Facundo Buonanotte heading back to Brighton, an exit for El Khannouss would leave City short in the number 10 position.
Will Alves would be a prime candidate to fill it if City are in the Championship, but he’s been playing as a winger lately, and so a new signing may be required.
Centre-back
It’s been nearly six months since City kept a clean sheet and while there have been a lot of problems defensively, the centre-backs currently at the club have rarely inspired confidence in the fanbase.
Ben Nelson will come into the fold, but an overhaul of the position feels like it’s needed. There’s been plenty of talk around Wout Faes and that he will seek a summer exit, something many supporters won’t be opposed to.
A freshening up at the heart of defence feels like it would give City more solid foundations on which to build good performances.
Which of the four positions is the number one for City to strengthen in the summer? Click HERE to have your say.