While Leicester City are not in a position yet to exploit the early opening of the summer transfer window, there is work they can do even while their manager situation remains unresolved.
The transfer window is now open, and will remain so until next Tuesday, June 10. Then there will be a short break until it opens again on Monday, June 16 and runs through to the start of September.
It is not expected that City will make any signings soon. With doubts around Ruud van Nistelrooy’s future, it would not make sense to bring players in without knowing the manager they will be playing for.
However, they do need to plan to ensure they are in the best position possible come the start of the Championship campaign.
The first task is to work out if sales are required before the accounting deadline on June 30 in order to satisfy Profit and Sustainability Rules.
They’ve got three charges hanging over them that could lead to a points deduction. They don’t want any more.
If sales are needed, then City would have to turn to their most valuable assets. Right now, because he would generate pure profit as an academy graduate, young centre-back Ben Nelson would likely generate the most money.
It was suggested by his loan manager at Oxford, Gary Rowett, that he could bypass City and head to the Premier League, while there have been links to Chelsea, with their manager Enzo Maresca knowing how he operates.
The next best option for a decent profit would be Mads Hermansen. He underwent surgery on a groin issue at the start of May in order to get him fit for pre-season and to protect a potential transfer.
Brentford had been interested but have now signed Caoimhin Kelleher from Liverpool to replace Mark Flekken. Now just Man United remain of clubs linked to City’s number one, but a decision would be required on Andre Onana first.
In any case, a portion of any profit City make on Hermansen has to be sent to his previous club Brondby because of a clause in his contract.
Even if City don’t need players sold to meet the loss threshold, they still need a raft of exits for the players who don’t want to stick around and who could perhaps generate some cash.
Wout Faes is expected to go and has been linked to Lazio as well as Bundesliga sides. Boubakary Soumare has attracted interest from Monaco and Lyon.
Wilfred Ndidi has a release clause in his deal that could tempt suitors, while Jannik Vestergaard has been challenged by his Denmark manager to find a club where he can play regularly.
Caleb Okoli is the subject of regular links over a move back to Italy, while Ricardo Pereira’s agent has said he’s looking for a more attractive option than a year in the Championship.
Bilal El Khannouss, while not the subject of significant rumours as yet, will also be a strong contender to leave after the quality he’s shown this season, and with the potential he has, being just 21 years old.
City need players who want to be at the club, so once they know who doesn’t and who is being sold, they will have a better idea of what is required to get their squad ship-shape.
But no matter who goes, they need a striker. Jamie Vardy’s boots are impossible to fill, but City do as well as they can to find a reliable goal-getter to lead the line. It is the most important deal for them to do this summer.
They have been attributed with interest in the likes of Bourg-en-Bresse’s Abdoul Karim Traore and Brommapojkarna’s Ezekiel Alladoh but both are young, with potential. City need a more prolific strike option.
With Danny Ward and Daniel Iversen leaving on free transfers, City will need at least one goalkeeper, and two if Hermansen departs.
But they may only need to be deputies as Jakub Stolarczyk will be a strong contender to be number one. That would reduce the need to spend big.
Beyond that, the positions of priority look likely to be through the rest of the spine. It looks to be at centre-back, in central midfield, and in attacking midfield where City are going to be short once the departures are confirmed.
At full-back and on the wings, they look to be strong both in terms of numbers and in terms of quality, and so even if there is the odd departure in those positions, they may not have to strengthen in response.
After a striker, what is the next most important signing for City to do this summer? Click HERE to have your say.
Get your special Jamie Vardy edition of the Leicester Mercury
Jamie Vardy souvenir edition of the Leicester Mercury
It was certainly a fairytale ending to Jamie Vardy's Leicester City career - netting his 200th goal in his final match for the club.
To celebrate, we are launching a this special edition of the Leicester Mercury where we look back at the striker's amazing career - his journey from non-league to England international, his greatest goals and where he stands in the Foxes' list of all-time greats.
We also revisit the trophy-winning campaigns - the 2021 FA Cup and, of course, the 2016 Premier League title.
And there are plenty of tributes from those who played with him, against him and worked with him.
Jamie Vardy, it's certainly been a party!
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